Coincidentally, as the weather warms and hints of Spring appear, we dedicated eaters start to consider the new season’s lamb. Prompted by a current book of food writing, from the London Daily Telegraph’s archives, I searched my own and found a couple of special lamb recipes, created by the Telegraph’s food writer of forty years ago, Dennis Curtis. I reproduce them, only slightly altered. It is “old-fashioned” cooking, requiring time. If you have it, it is worth the effort.
NAVARIN OF LAMB
This is how Dennis Curtis did it:
There is good English Iamb available at this time of year, but we tend to overcook it to a grey colour whereas the French serve it underdone to a pleasing pink shade (I think most Brits now know better! P.S.) Sear leg at maximum (pre-heated) oven heat for 15 min, and then continue at a moderate heat for a total cooking time of 12min. to the pound (about 26 minutes per kilo)
They also improve the flavour subtly by pushing slivers of garlic deep into the meat, near the bone, and then using a stock made from lamb bones to baste the joint. Contrarily, this navarin shows how the cheaper cuts of lamb can be cooked for a long time to produce a delicately-flavoured dish. To be at its best, it relies on a good stock made from lamb bones, careful skimming of the fat, and vegetables which are not overcooked. The picture shows how Waitrose cook it, to show on their website.
1. Make 25g / loz dripping (*) hot in a heatproof casserole; in this brown quickly 1 kilo / 2lb of middle-cut chops.
2. Reduce the heat and pour off excess fat. Dredge the meat with a heaped tablespoon of flour and turn the chops until the flour has browned.
3. Add good stock to just cover the meat and bring to the boil. Add 2 crushed cloves of garlic and 2 tablespoons of tomato paste plus a bouquet garni. Taste and season.
4. Cover and place in an oven preheated to 180º / 350°F for one hour. Remove the meat. Strain the sauce and allow to cool. Wash casserole.
5. Put the chops back into the washed casserole. Skim the excess fat from the sauce and pour the sauce over the chops.
6. Melt 25g /1oz of dripping in a frying pan and in this turn 450g / 1lb sliced carrots and 225g / 8oz sliced turnips.
7. Sprinkle the vegetables with 1 tablespoon granulated sugar and cook until it caramelises. Add to the casserole and return to the oven. Cook on for 30min.
8. Add 12 baby onions, peeled, and 450g /1lb new potatoes, scraped. Cook until the vegetables are tender. Tilt and skim off the fat again.
9. Place on the stove and bring to the simmer. Stir in 175g /6oz frozen peas, simmer for 5min. and serve, without the bouquet garni. Serves 4.
(*) Note: “Dripping” is made from “rendered” fat, or suet, (melted slowly in a pan) which is not always easy to get for those readers in Cyprus. Ask the butcher for some of the fat from the lamb leg. Otherwise use lard or a mix of butter and olive oil.
NOISETTES D’AGNEAU A LA CREME D’AIL / Noisettes of Lamb in a Garlic Cream Sauce)
A noisette is a piece of a boned chop (“the eye”) or tenderloin.
Ingredients for Six Servings
18 noisettes of lamb
Olive oil or butter
DAUPHINOIS POTATOES
2 Ib (1 kg) potatoes, peeled and sliced very thinly.
7g / ¼ oz chopped garlic
50 cl / 18 fl oz single cream
Salt and pepper 50 g / 2 oz grated Emmenthal cheese
Garlic Cream Sauce
100g / 3½ oz garlic cloves
60cl / 1 pint milk and water, mixed
15cl / 5 fl oz lamb stock
15 cl / 5fI oz (150 ml) single cream
Garlic Fritters
1 egg
50g / 2 oz flour
75g / 3fl oz lager
Salt and Pepper
100g / 3½ oz garlic cloves
1 pint (60 cl) milk and water, mixed
METHOD
1. For the dauphinois potatoes, place all the ingredients, except the cheese, in a buttered casserole dish, cover with foil, and bake in the oven at 500°F (150°C, gas mark 2) for about 1 hour.
2. Remove the foil, sprinkle the cheese over the top, and return to the oven for another 30 minutes.
3. To make the garlic sauce, place whole garlic cloves, unpeeled, in cold milk and water, bring to the boil, and drain. Repeat the process three times, using fresh milk/water each time. Squeeze garlic puree from the skins of each clove into a bowl and mash with a fork. Add lamb stock, cream and seasoning, and place in an electric blender until the sauce is smooth.
4. To make the fritters, separate the egg and beat the yolk with flour. Gradually add the beer whisking all the time, then season.
5. Five minutes before serving, whisk the egg white, and fold into the batter.
6. Prepare the garlic cloves as above, in milk and water, but having first peeled the cloves. Drain and sauté in olive oil until golden brown. Heat a pan of oil or a deep fat fryer, dip sautéed garlic cloves into batter, and deep fry. Drain and place on kitchen paper to absorb excess fat.
7. Sauté noisettes of Iamb in olive oil or butter, place on serving plates, and garnish with garlic cloves and garlic cream sauce.
