Lamb loin with steamed pudding, charred sprouting broccoli and baby carrots

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Emily Watkins' lamb loin with pudding recipe celebrates the flavours and ingredients of spring, featuring seasonal purple sprouting broccoli alongside lamb and carrots. The suet pudding adds further appeal to this delicious dish.

First published in 2015

Ingredients

Metric

Imperial

Lamb loin

Steamed lamb pudding filling

Steamed lamb pudding pastry

  • 350g of self-raising flour
  • 180g of pork dripping
  • 50ml of iced water, plus extra

To serve

Equipment

  • Pudding basins

Method

1
To start the dish, prepare the lamb loin. Trim the meat of any sinew and fat and place in a resealable bag with the olive oil and the rosemary. Refrigerate for and minimum of 3 hours or up to 2 days for best results
2
While marinating, make the braised lamb filling for the pudding. Place a large casserole pot over a high heat and add some oil. Brown off the diced lamb in small batches, adding each batch to a large mixing bowl
3
In the same pan, sweat the onions until soft, then add the rosemary and diced lemon and cook for 3 minutes. Add the wine and reduce
  • 3 red onions, peeled and finely diced
  • 2 sprigs of rosemary, leaves picked and finely chopped
  • 1/2 lemon, washed and deseeded, peel and flesh diced
  • 375ml of white wine
4
Add the tomatoes and tomato paste, cook until soft, then put the lamb chunks back into the pan. Season with salt, pepper and a little sugar
5
Cover with the lamb stock and bring to the boil, before turning down to a low heat and gently simmer for at least an hour until the lamb is tender
6
While the lamb is braising, make the pastry. Place the flour in a bowl and rub in the dripping using your fingertips
  • 350g of self-raising flour
  • 180g of pork dripping
7
Add the water and bring the pastry together with your hands - if necessary add a little more water. Take care not to over work the pastry, you just want to lightly bring it together
  • 50ml of iced water, plus extra
8
Wrap in cling film and place in the fridge for half an hour - It should gently rise
9
While the pastry is resting, check the lamb. If it is lovely and tender, season as needed and take off the heat. Pour into a bowl to cool down
10
Rub the pudding basins with butter. Cut a circle out of baking parchment and place in the base of the bowl. Dust the rest of the bowl with flour, and tip out any excess
11
Roll out the pastry to about ½ cm thick and carefully line the bowls with the pastry. Reserve all of the scraps for the lids
12
Fill the basins with the cooled lamb mix and roll out the scraps to make a lid. Place on top and pinch shut with your thumb and forefinger
13
Steam your puddings in a pot large enough for your pudding basins. Place the basins in the pot on top of an upturned plate or a folded tea towel to stop them over cooking on the base
14
Fill the pot with water so that it comes half way up the sides of the basins. Place a lid on the pot and if it is not well fitting, seal with tin foil
15
Bring to the boil, turn down to a simmer and steam for 45 minutes. Check the water level every 20 minutes and top up if necessary - if you have a good seal on the lid then it should be fine
16
Preheat the oven to 180°C/gas mark 4
17
To finish the lamb loin, heat a non-stick pan on a medium heat. Season the lamb loin and caramelise on all sides
18
Place in the oven 8 minutes, then take out and leave to rest for 10 more minutes
19
When you bring your lamb pudding out - leave to rest for 5-10 minutes before turning out, otherwise the pastry will be too soft and may break
20
Preheat a griddle pan to very hot. Remove but keep the leaves from the stem of the broccoli and start blanching the heads in boiling water for 2 minutes, before adding the leaves for the last 30 seconds
21
Strain, remove the leaves and place the heads straight onto the smoking hot griddle pan. Season and set aside
22
Cook the carrots in a butter emulsion with a sprig of thyme
23
Turn a pudding out onto the edge of each plate, as pictured, then lay out some broccoli spears. Top with carrots, then finally, some sliced lamb loin. Serve immediately

Mother of three and previously chef-owner at The Kingham Plough, Oxfordshire, Emily Watkins has a lot on her proverbial plate. But it hasn’t stopped her from becoming one of Britain’s leading chefs.

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