Scallop with Meantime Pale Ale braised breast of lamb

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  • medium
  • 4
  • 5 hours 30 minutes
Not yet rated

Tony Fleming pairs plump scallops with ale-braised lamb breast in this ambitious recipe, celebrating land and sea in equal measure. The dish contains a host of tasty accompaniments that take the dish to the next level, from confit lemon zest to a heavenly anchovy mayonnaise.

First published in 2015

Ingredients

Metric

Imperial

Marinated lamb breast

To braise the lamb

Anchovy mayonnaise

Lemon zest confit

  • 1 lemon
  • 25g of sugar
  • 50ml of water

Broad bean purée

Mint oil

  • 75g of mint
  • 75ml of extra virgin olive oil
  • 75ml of vegetable oil

To serve

Equipment

  • Blender
  • Butcher's string

Method

1
To start the dish, marinate the lamb. Combine the rosemary, thyme, garlic, anchovies, bay leaf, crushed coriander, a little vegetable oil and a liberal seasoning of salt in a small bowl and massage the rub into the meat, ensuring that it is well coated. Leave to marinate overnight in the fridge
2
Start making the mint oil on the same day that you marinate the lamb. Boil the mint for 2-3 minutes until soft, then plunge immediately into ice cold water to refresh. Blend the mint with the oils and allow it to steep overnight before passing through a muslin bag to purify
  • 75g of mint
  • 75ml of extra virgin olive oil
  • 75ml of vegetable oil
3
The next day, gently remove the anchovies, bay, thyme and rosemary from the lamb and set to one side. Wash the remaining dry rub off under a cold tap and lay the lamb flat on a chopping board. Pat dry and place the anchovy fillets back on the lamb. Roll and tie tightly with butcher’s string
4
In a large, heavy-bottomed, oven-proof saucepan, seal the rolled lamb in vegetable oil over a high heat, ensuring you achieve a good caramelisation on the outside of the meat. Season with a large pinch of salt
5
Remove the lamb from the pan and place to one side. In the same pan, pan-roast the vegetables until golden, add the tomato purée and cook out on a hot heat. Reintroduce the rosemary, thyme and bay leaf, then add the wine. Reduce by half and season
6
Preheat the oven to 120°C/gas mark 1/2
7
Add the stock and pale ale and place the lamb back into the pan. Bring to the boil and skim the surface to remove any scum. Place in the oven for 4-5 hours until the lamb is just soft
8
Leave the lamb to cool in the liquor before removing the butcher's string and rolling tightly in cling film into a sausage shape. Place in the fridge to set for at least 2 hours
9
Pass the cooking liquor from the pan through a sieve into a clean pan and reduce to a thick sauce consistency. This will be used to glaze the lamb later
10
To make the mayonnaise, purée the anchovies into a thick paste with the lemon juice. Add the egg yolks, mustard and vinegar. While blitzing on a medium speed, slowly drizzle in the oil. Be patient – if the mixture becomes too thick, add a little room temperature water to loosen
11
Pass the whole mixture through a fine sieve to ensure a smooth finish. Adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper and store in fridge until needed
12
For the confit zest, peel the lemon, ensuring you remove all of the white pith as this will make the confit bitter. Julienne the zest very finely and place into a saucepan with enough cold water to cover. Bring to the boil and cook for 2 minutes before refreshing under cold running water
13
Repeat this process 3 times to remove all of the bitterness from the zest. Add the juice of the lemon and the water to another pan, add the sugar and bring to the boil. Drop in the lemon zest and simmer until the zest is soft and the liquid becomes syrupy. Store in fridge until needed
  • 25g of sugar
  • 50ml of water
14
For the broad bean purée, bring the vegetable stock to the boil. In a separate pan, sweat the onions in half of the butter until soft. Add the fresh broad beans, cook for 2 minutes until soft and season well
15
Pour over the hot stock, cover with a lid and cook for a further 3 minutes. Place the beans in a blender and add a couple of ladles of the stock – not too much – just enough to get the mixture moving. Blitz until smooth, then add the remainder of the diced butter to give the purée a beautiful shine (it is essential that the butter is cold to achieve a glossy finish)
16
Continue to blend for a further minute, then pass immediately through a fine sieve into a bowl sat over ice to ensure a vibrant green colour
17
To serve, remove the cling film from the lamb and slice into four portions, each around 5cm in thickness
18
In a hot skillet, pan-fry the lamb portions in a dash of vegetable oil for 1 minute on each side. Add a couple of ladles of the reduced cooking liquor and the 200ml of pale ale and heat until glazed and sticky. Taste and adjust the seasoning
19
Bring the vegetable stock to the boil with a large knob of butter and add the broad beans. Cook for 2 minutes, strain and set aside. Gently reheat the broad bean purée
20
Preheat the oven to 190°C/gas mark 5
21
Add a dash of oil to a smoking hot pan and sear the underside of the scallops. Season the top of the scallops with salt
22
Once a good degree of caramelisation has been achieved, place the scallops into the oven to cook through for 1 minute. Return to the hob, turn the scallops and add a knob of butter, basting the scallops in the butter for 1 minute. To test if the scallops are cooked to perfection, place a metal skewer into the middle and place against your skin - it should be at blood temperature
23
Place a glazed lamb slice in the middle of each plate with a spoonful of the reduction. Place the scallop on top and dot the anchovy mayonnaise and broad bean purée around the plate. Add the fresh broad beans and thin slices of sun-dried tomato
24
Finally to garnish, place a few oyster leaves around the plate, add a small amount of the lemon confit on the top of the scallop and drizzle over some mint oil. Serve immediately
  • oyster leaves

Tony Fleming built a reputation off sophisticated fish and seafood dishes at Angler, but now he's showing the full extent of his armoury at legendary restaurant Le Pont de La Tour, where he cooks classical, comforting food to the highest standards.

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