Tying in with the pub’s commitment to local and sustainable sourcing, the lamb is bought whole from neighbouring Softley Farm, with the kitchen using the entire animal across multiple dishes, minimising waste and helping to keep the cost of the dish down.
“The plate is served fairly classically, but we substitute as many non-British ingredients as possible with ingredients we can source locally,” Wilson said.
“We serve this dish as part of our tasting menu, but it could be adapted to suit an a la carte menu by adding in a potato garnish.”
While the dish costs around £4.50 per portion when served as part of a tasting menu, adapting it for à la carte service increases the price to around £6.50 per portion. Sold at £30, it delivers a gross profit margin of 74%.
Lamb with broccoli, morel and salsa verde
For the lamb loin (14 servings)
- 1 lamb loin (approximately 1kg)
- 50g transglutaminase
Method:
Trim the bark from the outside of the lamb fat and remove the loins from the bone if necessary
Trim the fat from the loin, and remove the silver sinews from both the loin and the fat
Dust both the lamb loin and lamb fat with the transglutaminase and tightly wrap together using clingfilm, ensuring that it is put back the same way it came off
Press in the fridge overnight to ensure both parts stick together cleanly
Once set, portion into 140g pieces - you should get about 7 from each loin.
One 140g piece serves two for this dish
For the lamb shoulder
- 1 bone in lamb shoulder (approximately 2.5kg)
- 200g salt
- 20g coriander seed
- 20g fennel seed
- 20g black peppercorn
- 4 cloves garlic
- 10g thyme
- 10g rosemary
- 4L oil (for confit)
Method:
Toast the spices in a hot dry pan
Transfer to a blender with the salt and herbs, and blend together to make a flavoured salt
Rub the salt thoroughly into the lamb shoulder, then leave for 6 hours to infuse
Wash off the salt, pat the shoulder dry with kitchen paper and place into a half gastro
Cover the lamb with the oil, place a cartouche on top and put a lid on. Confit for 10 hours at 90c.
Remove from the oil and drain - you can reuse this oil up to 3 times
Carefully remove any bones and cartilage from the shoulder, taking extra care to not break the meat up too much
Press overnight in the fridge to make a nice flat piece
Trim this down into 5 x 8 x 1.5cm pieces - any trimmings can be used for staff food
For the lamb sauce (makes 2L / 40 portions)
- 1kg lamb trimmings
- 5g coriander seed
- 5g fennel seed
- 5g black peppercorns
- 1 star anise
- 5g rosemary
- 2 bay leaves
- 100g carrot
- 100g celery
- 100g shallot
- 100g leek
- 5 cloves garlic, crushed
- 125g butter
- 50g oil (only if the lamb trimmings are lean, if fatty omit)
- 750g white wine
- 5000g good quality lamb stock
- 10g rosemary (for infusion)
- Chardonnay vinegar (for infusion)
Method:
Cut all of the vegetables and lamb trimmings into 2cm pieces
Heat a large pot over a medium heat
Once hot add the butter and oil, then put in the lamb trim, vegetables, herbs, and spices
Cook over a medium heat until everything is evenly caramelised all over
Transfer everything to a colander to drain off all excess fat
Return it to the pan and deglaze with the white wine
Reduce the wine down by half and then add the lamb stock
Gently simmer the lamb sauce, skimming as often as possible until reduced by half
Strain through a colander, then pass the liquid through a chinois lined with a muslin into a clean pan
Continue reducing the sauce, skimming regularly, until you are happy with the flavour. If the texture is not quite there but the flavour is good you can thicken it slightly with a tiny bit of xanthan gum
Pass through a muslin again, and add in the rosemary for the infusion, and season to taste with the chardonnay vinegar – this needs to be a sweet/acidic vinegar not an overly sharp one – infuse for 30 minutes
Pass one last time through a chinois to remove the rosemary
For the lamb glaze (makes 100 portions)
- 100g honey
- 100g soy sauce
- 100g white wine vinegar
- 100g lamb sauce
- 5g rosemary
Method:
Put all ingredients into a pot, bring to a simmer and reduce slowly until slightly thickened – be very careful as it burns easily, and remember it will thicken slightly as it cools, so only take it to a light syrupy consistency
For the pheasant mousse (makes 60 portions)
- 150g pheasant breast
- 30g egg white
- 7g salt
- 150g double cream
- 2g finely chopped rosemary leaves
Method:
Ensure all necessary equipment and ingredients are chilled
Blend together the pheasant breast and egg white in a robot coupe, it needs to be fully blended but also in the blender for as short a time as possible
Pass the mixture through a coarse tamis into a bowl set over ice
Fold in the cream, then the salt, and lastly the rosemary leaves
Wrap a small amount in clingfilm and steam at 70c for 5 minutes, taste this to check for seasoning and consistency. Adjust as necessary
Place into a piping bag and reserve in the fridge
For the morel mushroom (makes 10 portions)
- 10 large dried morels, 1 per person (we dry them while in season to use throughout the year)
- 10g chives, very finely chopped
Method:
Soak the dried mushrooms in boiled water for 5 minutes to soften them
Trim any woody parts from the mushrooms and stuff with the pheasant mousseline
Steam at 70c for 8 minutes to set the mousse
Again trim any mousse that has come out of the bottom to ensure they are neat
For the broccoli puree (makes 1kg / 20 portions)
- 4 heads broccoli
- 50g butter
- 100g water
- 2g bicarbonate of soda
- Salt and fermented gooseberry juice to season
Method:
Shave all of the green ends of the broccoli heads, the stems can be used for another dish
Bring the water, butter, bicarb and a pinch of salt to the boil
Tip in the green broccoli ends, boil for 2 minutes and strain in a chinois, reserve the liquid
Blend in a Thermomix with a tiny bit of xanthan and just enough of the reserved liquid to make a smooth puree, pass through a fine tamis into a bowl set over ice and adjust the seasoning with salt and fermented gooseberry juice
For the purple sprouting broccoli (makes 12 portions)
- 250g purple sprouting broccoli
Method:
Trim the broccoli into individual neat florets
Peel the stems to reveal the bright green underneath
Blanche for 1 minute in boiling salted water
Refresh in salted ice water
Drain and place on a J-cloth to dry
For the salsa verde (makes 100 portions)
- 340g picked herbs (parsley, mint, chervil, chives, basil, this is usually one standard 100g bunch of each)
- 65g Dijon mustard
- 110g salted anchovy
- 400g extra virgin rapeseed oil
- 60g capers
- 75g fermented gooseberry juice
- 20g salt
Method:
Place everything in a Vitamix jug, blend on full power until completely smooth, be careful not to let it heat up too much
Decant into Pacojet beakers set in an ice bath, to help chill it back down (the vitamix warms it slightly)
Freeze the Pacojet beakers, this will lock in the colour and flavour and keep it fresh for longer
Before each service, remove enough Pacojet beakers for what you need and allow to thaw
For the fermented gooseberry juice (makes 700g)
- 1kg gooseberry
- 20g fine sea salt
Method:
Blend up the gooseberries and salt in a sterilised Thermomix
Place into a vac pack bag and seal on full pressure, trim the flap from the top
Leave at 30c for 7-10 days, check the PH is below 4.5 (it will start below this as gooseberries are very acidic, but this is to check the safety of the fermentation)
Strain and squeeze off as much juice as possible, reserve this to use in place of lemon juice
The pulp can be used as infusion in sauces that you might usually add strips of lemon zest and some lemon juice (for example a mussel cream)
For the butter emulsion (makes 800g)
- 250g butter
- 500g water
- 15g salt
- 15g sugar
- 30g fermented gooseberry juice
- 1g xanthan gum
Method:
Add all of the ingredients apart from xanthan and gooseberry juice into a pot and bring to a rapid boil
Remove from the heat, add the xanthan and gooseberry, and blend using a Bamix until homogenous
To serve
Heat a small cast iron pot and roast the lamb loin in foaming butter, making sure the fat is properly rendered, rest for at least 5 minutes
Heat a little bit of oil in a pan or on a plancha and lightly press the shoulder piece into it, cook until one side is caramelised and the second side is warm, remove onto a draining cloth and brush with a little bit of the lamb glaze
Sauté the morel in foaming butter and finish with some finely chopped chives
Reheat the puree and sauce in small pots, careful not to boil either of them
Warm the purple sprouting broccoli in a couple of tablespoons of the butter emulsion
Carve each piece of lamb loin, into 4 slices, 2 per plate.
Arrange all of the ingredients onto the plate in a neat pattern
We like to serve the sauce and salsa verde at the table. This gives us an opportunity to talk to the guests about the provenance of our ingredients.
To take part in The MA’s Dish Deconstructed series, please contact phoebe.fraser@wrbm.com.
