What's For Dinner? - Herb-Crusted Rack of Lamb

Coming into the winter months now and there is a chill in the air, why not try something different? Lamb is lovely and a rack of lamb is exquisite! Yes it can be quite expensive, but if you are lucky enough to find a butchers that will sell racks of lamb at a good price and of good quality than this is a recipe for you. Generally it is four pieces to a person. A rack generally has 9 bones on it which is suitable for 2 people as the ninth bone doesn't have that much meat on it. This dish is great with some fondant potato and braised cabbage.

If you don't have a rack you could do raised lam chops and serve the stuffing alongside it so you still get all of the flavours but at a fraction of the cost, or for the classic Sunday roast you could cook a leg of lam and serve with the potato the stuffed tomato and the braised cabbage. 

1 Large Rack Of Lamb

Salt

Pepper

Olive Oil

Herb-Crust:

Sprig Parsley

Splash Of Olive Oil

2 Tablespoons English Mustard

Sprig Rosemary

Sprig Coriander

Sprig Thyme

7 Tbs. Grated Parmesan

4 Slices Of Stale Bread

Method:

1. Pre-heat the oven to 204 degrees/ gas mark 6.
2. Place lamb on cutting board fat side up.
3. Lightly score the fat layer with a sharp knife.
4. Next, generously sprinkle the lamb with salt and pepper.
5. Mop up the excess seasoning with the rack of lamb, ensuring it’s thoroughly coated.
6. Heat some olive oil in an oven safe pan.
7. Seal the lamb by holding each side in the oil long enough to develop color.
8. Transfer the pan with the lamb into the oven and bake for 7-8 minutes.
9. Prepare the crust while the lamb is cooking.
10. Place all of the ingredients for the crust except the mustard into a blender and pulse several times until it looks nice and green.
11. Make sure you don’t overdo it with the olive oil, just a splash.
12. Pour the mixture into a deep dish (bowl or plate) and set aside.
13. Remove the lamb from the oven and brush generously with mustard.
14. Dip the lamb into the crust mixture coating it completely.
15. Dip several times to ensure an even coating.
16. Allow meat to rest for a bit.
17. Place it back into the oven for 3-4 minutes when you’re ready to serve.

* In the picture the lamb is served with stuffed tomatoes: tomato that has been blanched and refreshed and then peel, stuffed with lightly sauteed onion, mushrooms and peppers season with salt and pepper and mix with some chopped herbs.

Shepherds Pie

Shepherds pie, is such a classic a great way to fill you up on a cold day, especially this time of the year, you can make it the night before so then all you have to do is put it in the oven and heat it. Serves 4.

Olive Oil 
700g Lamb Mince 
1  Carrot - finely chopped
1  Onion - finely diced
Fresh Rosemary
Fresh Thyme
2 Cloves of Garlic 
Salt
Pepper
Worcestershire Sauce 
Tomato Puree 
75ml Red Wine 
75ml Chicken Stock 

Potatoes:

660g Rooster Potatoes
35g Milk 
75g Butter 
Salt
Pepper
Egg Yolks (2)
35g Parmesan Cheese 

Method:

1. Boil some water, throw some salt and your potatoes in, and set a timer for 15 minutes – start on your filling.  
2. Upon the timer going off, take your potatoes out and strain the water off. 
3. Put potatoes back into the pan, or into a medium mixing bowl.
4. Mash the potatoes with their ingredients from above and keep warm (your filling should be about done by this point)
5. Pour Olive Oil into a hot, rather large pan, then add meat. 
6. Stir meat as if your life depends on it for a few minutes so it’s nice and brown, and broken into very small pieces. 
7. Add your Rosemary, Thyme, and Garlic, then stir some more. 
8. Quickly add your Carrot, and Onion, stir a little longer. 
9. The idea at this point is to get everything to a minced consistency.
10. Add Worcestershire Sauce, stir, add Tomato Puree, stir, add Red Wine and sweat down for a minute or two. 
11. Add chicken stock and cook for 3 more minutes.
12. Scoop your meat mixture into a deep casserole or other oven safe dish and then spoon the mash over the top. 
13. Spread the mash over the top of the mix with the bottom of the spoon and then sprinkle a generous portion of Parmesan cheese over the top. 
14. Poke the top with a fork several times to give it a peaked look and stick it in the oven at 200 degrees/ gas mark 6 for 18-20 minutes to brown the potatoes and set the pie. 

What's For Dinner? - Spiced Slow-Cooked Lamb Shanks

This dish is is great, it really hearty food, full of flavour, and they way the meat is cooked means it just is so tender and comes so easily off the bone. This recipe would serve 4. With this i would serve mashed potato or the spinach and mustard mash.

Spiced Slow-Cooked Lamb Shanks

4 Lamb Shanks

1 Tsp Coriander Seeds

1 Small Dried Red Chilli / 2 Tsps Fresh Chilli

 1 Tbsp Fresh Rosemary

1 Tsp Marjoram / Oregano

1 Tbsp Flour

1 Clove Of Garlic, Finely Chopped

1 Large Carrot, Quartered And Finely Sliced

6 Sticks Of Celery, Quartered And Finely Sliced

2 Medium-Large Onions, Quartered And Finely Chopped

2 Tbsp Balsamic Vinegar

170ml Dry White Wine

6 Anchovy Fillets

800g Tins Of Plum Tomatoes

1 Handful Of Fresh Basil, Marjoram, Flat Leaf Parsley Roughly Chopped

Method:

1. Season the lamb with the sea salt and the black pepper.
2. Smash the coriander seeds and dried chilli and mix with the chopped rosemary and dried marjoram.
3. Roll the lamb in this mixture, pressing it in well.
4. Dust the lamb with flour.
5. Heat a casserole pan, add the oil, brown the meat on all sides then remove from the pan.
6. Add the garlic, carrot, celery, onions and a pinch of salt and sweat them until softened.
7. Add the balsamic vinegar and allow it to reduce to a syrup.
8. Pour in the white wine and allow to simmer for 2 mins.
9. Add the anchovies and then the tinned tomatoes, kept whole Shake the pan and return the lamb to it.
10. Bring to the boil, put on the lid and simmer in the oven at 180 degrees / gas mark 5 for 1 ½ hours, then remove the lid and cook for a further half hour.
11. Skim off any fat and taste for seasoning.
12. Finally, stir in a handful or roughly chopped basil, marjoram and chopped flat leaf parsley.

What's For Dinner? - Lamb Burgers

I love burgers; they are a quick dinner, and tends to suit everyone. This could also be a good alternative to a Friday night take-away. In this recipe you can make your own substitutions; add lettuce, cheese, tomatoes to your burger (I like mine pretty plain, but with a side salad). In this recipe I have lamb burgers I bought from a quality butchers but sometimes I have the lamb mince in the freezer. This recipe serves 4.

4 Lamb Burgers
4 Baps (Plain or Wholewheat)
2 White Onions
2 Red Peppers
1/2 Cucumber
1 Carrot
8 Green Beans
1 Beetroot (Optional)
1 Green Pepper
Salad Leaves (I tend to use rocket and spinach leaves)
8 Maris Pipers Potatoes

Method:

1. We are gonna start with the vegetables, reserve one of the red peppers to go with the sauteed onions for the burger.
2. Chop the vegetables to the sizes you desire and add to a bowl with a small bit of fresh lemon juice, this keeps them fresh and adds some flavour when you add to the salad leaves later.
3. Next prep the potatoes for the chips pre-heat the fryer to 150 degrees when the chips are cooked blanch them until they can be broken in half, they won't really turn brown as Maris pipers are specifically for chips. You can turn the fryer up to 180 later to finish cooking the chips.
4. Now I have a George Foreman Grill, I don't know what you use, but I would start cooking the burgers now.
5. While the grill is heat up slice the remaining red pepper and the onion, heat a pan at a high heat without oil at first and begin cooking the vegetables, season and add a little drizzle of oil and finish cooking. 
6. Cook your burgers and finish cooking your chips while all of this is going on, heat some plates in the oven and get your salad ready, toast the baps and then begin assembling your plate. 

*The key to making a quick dinner is being organised, if you are any meal can become a quick meal but if you are dis-organised it not drags out the cooking time but can turn people off cooking altogether.