Whether you celebrate Easter or not, give yourself the gift of cooking something special for your family and friends.
Once a week I eat meat and I want it to be not only flavourful but also sustainably farmed. I ordered from the butcher Dierendonck ( click HERE) ( not paid to post) this fabulous crown of lamb, it was already lightly marinated and vacuum packed. All I needed to do is getting it in hot pan with butter and olive oil, get some colour on all sides and cook it in a pre heated oven for 15 minutes. It was the most delish lamb ever!
RHUBARB – this gorgeous sour lengthy vegetable ( yep not a fruit) is European by origin and after it being used medicinally and then used as we know it in crumbles, pies and jams. Be mindful the leaves are toxic, only the stems are edible. In the UK they are known to grown them in the dark to keep the stems light pink and sweet. I love making jam in general but rhubarb jam reminds me of my dad. That recipe will follow later in April.
Rosemary is from my garden, it overwintered really well, it is sooo fragrant. I added some sprigs to the lamb while cooking.
TIPS:
- Serve with potatoes in gratin, just boiled or fried.
- Always sieve in the flour to avoid lumps
- Serve with sautéed radishes, see recipe HERE
STEP 1: In a hot frying pan with butter and olive oil, add the lamb. Let it get some colour on all sides and cook it in a pre heated oven for 15 minutes. Let it rest for 6 minutes before serving.
STEP 2: Cut the leaves away and compost. Wash the stems, peel if skin is thick, cut in 2cm chunks. Cook with a little water and a table spoon of sugar the rhubarb till soft.
STEP 3: While the lamb is resting, discard the used rosemary and about 2/3 of the fat in the pan. Back on the heat add a little of beef or chicken stock, scrap the pan with a sauce whisk to release all that flavour. Add a tablespoon of flour or cornstarch, whisk and cook out. Add a little stock at time and keep whisking till it thickens. Season with salt and pepper.
My Easter lamb with rhubarb compote and gravy
Yield 2 portions
Ingredients
- 1 rack of lamb, marinated and well seasoned with salt and pepper
- 3 rhubarb stems
- 500 ml beef or chicken stock
- 1 table spoon flour
- 1 table spoon butter
- 1 table spoon olive oil
- salt and pepper
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1 bustle rosemary
Instructions
- To a frying pan add the butter and olive oil and the rosemary, when sizzling add the seasoned lamb rack and sear brown on all sides. Place in pre heated oven at 180C for about 15 minutes.
- Cut the green toxic leaves from the rhubarb stems and compost. wash the stems, peel if coarse skin and cut in 2 cm chunks. Add the chunks with a splash of water and the sugar to a saucepan and cook till soft.
- Remove the lamb from the oven and the pan, let rest under some foil for 6 minutes.
- Discard 2/3 of the grease in the pan ( and the burned rosemary), add back onto the heat and add 100 ml of the beef or chicken stock. Scrap with a sauce whisk the bottom of the pan to release all that flavour. Sieve the flour in the pan, and stir to cook out the flour. Add a little bit of stock at the time while stirring until all the stock is in the pan and the sauce has thickened. Cook for a few more minutes.
- Serve the lamb, rhubarb compote with eh gravy. It tastes great with boiled potatoes.
Notes
on www.leeksandhighheels.com by Sandra Slawinski
Written and photographed by Sandra Slawinski without commercial deals. I used my de Buyer French copper frying pan from E.Dehillerin, Paris. plates from ZaraHome, Ikea – bowls made by my mama, saucepan ZaraHome, knife Laguiole – dishtowel from ZaraHome
