Lamb Wellington with chicken mousse, Parma ham and spinach
Item 1 of 1
- medium
- 4-6
- 2 hours 40 minutes
The striking, almost abstract cross-section of this incredible Wellington showcases lamb loins wrapped in spinach and encased in a soft chicken mousse, studded with mushrooms, peppers and more. Wrapped in Parma ham and then puff pastry, it's a guaranteed stunner to serve. The lamb sauce does take a while to create and it is optional, but if you have the time in advance to put it together it really makes the dish sing.
First published in 2021
Ingredients
Metric
Imperial
- 1 puff pastry block, best quality
- 1 egg, beaten
- 1 whole saddle of lamb, loins and tenderloins separated and trimmings reserved (ask your butcher to do this for you)
- 15 slices of Parma ham
- 1kg spinach
- salt
- ground cumin
Chicken mousse
- 500g of chicken breast, roughly chopped
- 2 egg whites
- 500ml of double cream
- salt
- freshly ground black pepper
Duxelles
- 1/2 carrot, finely diced
- 1 knob of unsalted butter
- 100g of chestnut mushrooms, finely chopped
- 2 banana shallots, finely chopped
- 1 garlic clove, finely chopped
- 1 red pepper, deseeded and finely diced
- 10g of chives, finely chopped
- 1 lemon, zested
- 1 pinch of nutmeg
- 1 pinch of ground cumin
- salt
Lamb sauce
- 1.25kg lamb trimmings, finely chopped (use the trimmings leftover from the saddle)
- 50ml of olive oil
- 100g of onion, finely chopped
- 100g of leek, finely chopped
- 100g of carrots, finely chopped
- 1/2 garlic bulb
- 5g of thyme
- 5g of rosemary
- 1/2 cinnamon stick
- 1 pinch of cumin seeds, small
- 250g of plum tomatoes, ripe, chopped
- 50g of tomato purée
- 150ml of water
- 1l brown chicken stock, best quality
SAVE RECIPE
Method
1
Begin by making the sauce, as this can be done in advance and reheated before serving (if you're not making the sauce, you can skip to step 5). Preheat an oven to 180°C/gas mark 4
2
Roast the lamb trimmings in the oven for 10-15 minutes, until coloured. Meanwhile, pour the oil into a very large saucepan and place over a medium heat. Add the onions, leeks, carrots and garlic and cook for 5 minutes, until the onions have softened but not coloured. Add the thyme, cinnamon, rosemary and cumin seeds, then continue to cook for a further 5 minutes
- 1.25kg lamb trimmings, finely chopped (use the trimmings leftover from the saddle)
- 50ml of olive oil
- 100g of onion, finely chopped
- 100g of leek, finely chopped
- 100g of carrots, finely chopped
- 1/2 garlic bulb
- 5g of thyme
- 5g of rosemary
- 1/2 cinnamon stick
- 1 pinch of cumin seeds, small
3
Add the tomatoes and tomato purée, cook out for 10 minutes, then add the lamb trimmings, water and stock. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 30 minutes
- 250g of plum tomatoes, ripe, chopped
- 50g of tomato purée
- 150ml of water
- 1l brown chicken stock, best quality
4
Pass the sauce through a colander and then again through a fine sieve into a clean saucepan. Bring to a simmer once more, then leave to reduce until shiny and thick. Pass through muslin cloth (if desired), taste for seasoning then set aside in the fridge to reheat before serving
5
Create the chicken mousse by blending the chicken in a food processor until puréed. Add the egg whites and blitz once again. Place a bowl in a larger bowl of iced water, then, working in batches, push the chicken mixture through a drum sieve (or fine sieve) using a dough scraper or the back of a ladle. Once you’ve passed all of the mousse mixture, fold in the double cream and season with a generous pinch of salt and pepper. Set aside
- 500g of chicken breast, roughly chopped
- 2 egg whites
- 500ml of double cream
- salt
- freshly ground black pepper
7
For the duxelles, melt the butter in a frying pan and add the mushrooms, shallots and garlic, cooking for 5 minutes until softened. Leave to cool
- 1 knob of unsalted butter
- 100g of chestnut mushrooms, finely chopped
- 2 banana shallots, finely chopped
- 1 garlic clove, finely chopped
8
Fold the mushroom mixture along with the rest of the duxelles ingredients through the chicken mousse, then transfer to a piping bag
- 1 red pepper, deseeded and finely diced
- 10g of chives, finely chopped
- 1 lemon, zested
- 1 pinch of nutmeg
- 1 pinch of ground cumin
- salt
9
Now it’s time to build the Wellington. Lay out a large double layer of cling film on a work surface and top with around three-quarters of the spinach. Season the lamb loins and tenderloins with a little salt and cumin, then wrap them individually in the spinach, ensuring they are completely covered. Set aside
- 1 whole saddle of lamb, loins and tenderloins separated and trimmings reserved (ask your butcher to do this for you)
- salt
- ground cumin
10
On the same cling film, lay out the slices of Parma ham to create a large square. Pipe some chicken mousse on top of the ham, then arrange the 2 tenderloins on top. Cover these with mousse, then place the loins on top of this layer of mousse – you’re aiming for each spinach-wrapped piece of lamb to be completely covered with mousse. Use the remaining spinach to cover the mousse
- 15 slices of Parma ham
11
Using the cling film to help you, lift the Parma ham up and over the spinach to create a parcel, then roll the mixture to create a neat cylinder. Continue rolling, using the cling film, to create a cylinder that’s as neat and tight as possible, without squeezing the mousse out of each end
12
Roll out the puff pastry to around the thickness of a pound coin, then carefully transfer the lamb filling from the cling film and place it in the centre of the pastry. Repeat the process of using the cling film to lift the pastry up and over the filling, rolling it into a tight cylinder as you go. Trim off any excess pastry, ensure both ends are sealed, then wrap tightly in cling film and tie each end. Place in the fridge overnight so it sets and forms a neat shape
- 1 puff pastry block, best quality
13
When ready to cook, preheat an oven to 200°C/gas mark 6. Carefully unwrap the Wellington from the cling film, place on a baking tray and brush generously all over with the beaten egg. Bake for 25 minutes, then leave to rest for 15 minutes
- 1 egg, beaten
14
While the Wellington rests, gently reheat the sauce (if needed). To serve, carefully carve the Wellington, trimming off the ends, then serve with the sauce
First published in 2021
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