Head Chef - Adrian Bailey

Cured braised lamb shoulder, lamb rack, pressed potato and rosemary jus

Lamb and sauce
Whole lamb shoulder, boned out, not rolled
Sea salt (smoked Halon Mon if possible)
sugar
1 pnt Lamb stock
Shallot
Garlic
Rosemary

Our butcher, H Greaves and son from Skelmersdale cures our lamb shoulders to a unique recipe. You can simulate this result at home by rubbing your lamb shoulder with sea salt, the smoked salt from Halon Mon on Anglesea is amazing for this, also rub with garlic and rosemary and a little sugar. Leave for two to three hours in the fridge, then wash off excess salt and fry in a large pan colouring on the top and bottom of the lamb. Lay in a large roasting dish and pour on the lamb stock, chopped shallot sprig of rosemary and a couple of garlic cloves. Cover with foil and cook in a pre heated oven at 120’c for three or four hours or until lamb is tender. Remove from the oven and rest the lamb while pressing with a light weight. Pass the cooking liquor into a jug and reserve.
For the sauce, brown some fine sliced white onion in butter (careful not to burn) add a large splash of port, reduce then add red wine (about ¼ of a bottle) reduce, then add the cooking liquor, skim off any excess fat and reduce til a sauce consistency.

Pressed potato.
Potatoes (maris pipers)
½ pack Melted butter
Rosemary
Salt and pepper

We use a smoked butter from ‘the organic smokehouse’ in Wales, also available in Waitrose stores, however, regular unsalted butter is fine. Melt the butter slowly in a pan with a stem of rosemary and 3 cloves of garlic in allowing the rosemary to infuse, meanwhile, thinly slice the peeled potatoes, a mandolin is ideal for this, failing that, a sharp knife and keen eye is a fair substitute. Layer the sliced potato in a dish lined with greaseproof paper, sprinkling with the clarified butter, salt and pepper every now and then. Cover with a layer of greaseproof and bake for an hour to an hour and a half at 120’c or until a knife passes easily through the potatoes, remove from the oven, press with a light weight.

For best results, portion the lamb into small rectangles, the potatoes in a similar fashion and re heat both in the oven at 180’c with a small knob of butter on top. Pan fry a small rack of lamb per person (two or three bone) and rest. Place the lamb shoulder and the potato on the plate, carve the rack and lay next to the potato and flick the sauce over. Serve with seasonal vegetables of your choice.

Trio of Rhubarb
Rhubarb crumble, mini rhubarb brulee

Peel 200g of rhubarb and chop, add 100g caster sugar and cook down for about 10-15 mins, add a squeeze of lemon juice, put into ramekins and chill

Put 100g of flour, 100g of butter, 50g of sugar and 50g of oats into a mixer and mix slowly til a loose crumble, sprinkle on the rhubarb. Sprinkle the top with a little Demerara sugar

Make a rhubarb compote with 100g peeled rhubarb and around 25g sugar. Then place a bit in the bottom of the ramekins. Then bring 130ml double cream to the boil with the rhubarb peelings. Pass, Then whisk it into 3 egg yolks and 18g sugar. Then pour the mix into the ramekins and cook at 150’c in a baine marie for 25-35mins or till set. Chill then sprinkle caster sugar on the top.
To finish, heat the crumble in the oven til the top colours and melt the sugar on the brulee to a caramel under the grill or preferably with a blow torch. Serve side by side as rhubarb and custard