Credit-crunch recipe – Lamb necks by Colin Buchan
Are you trying to work out how to offer your customers great meals while keeping costs down? As part of our series aimed at battling the credit crunch via the kitchen, Colin Buchan, head chef of Angela Hartnett's York and Albany, suggests another low-spend recipe.
LAMB NECKS
By Colin Buchan Food cost per portion: £3.80
INGREDIENTS
(Serves four)
Braised lamb neck
- 4 lamb necks
- 1 head of garlic, crushed
- 1/4 bunch of rosemary
- 100ml vegetable oil
- 1 carrot, chopped
- 1 onion, chopped
- 2 sticks of celery, chopped
- 1 leek, chopped
- 8 peppercorns, crushed
- 8 coriander seeds, crushed
- 400ml red wine
- 1 litre veal stock
- 500ml brown chicken stock
- 1tbs tomato purée
- 2 lamb kidneys
- Carrot purée
- 6 white peppercorns
- 6 cumin seeds
- 2 star anise
- 6 coriander seeds
- 100ml olive oil
- 6 medium carrots, sliced thinly
- 150ml butter
- 100ml double cream
Salsa verde
- 1tbs capers
- 1tbs cornichons
- 2 gloves of garlic
- 200ml olive oil
- 1/2 bunch flat-leaf parsley
- 1/2 bunch coriander leaves
- Salt and pepper
To serve
- 2 lamb kidneys
- 200g spinach
METHOD
Marinate the lamb necks with chopped garlic and rosemary for 12 hours. Heat a heavy-bottom pan and add 100ml of vegetable oil. When hot, colour all sides of the neck and remove from the pan. In the same pan, caramelise the vegetables with crushed peppercorns and coriander seeds until just coloured, finally add the tomato paste and cook for two minutes. Add the red wine and reduce to a glaze. Add the stocks and bring to the boil, checking for seasoning. Finally add the herbs and lamb necks, cover with parchment paper and cook until tender for two-and-a-half to three hours at 110°C in a low oven. To make the carrot purée, roast the spices in a hot dry pan until the flavour can be smelt; in another pan heat the olive oil and add the carrots and roasted spices. Cover with a lid and cook until soft, stirring occasionally. Add a little chicken stock, season and blitz, adding more chicken stock until the right consistency is reached. Finally add a touch of butter to give a smooth paste. For the salsa verde, blend the garlic, capers, cornichons and a little olive oil, continue adding the olive oil until you reach the correct consistency. Add the chopped leaf parsley, coriander and season. To serve, cook the kidneys in caramelised butter for a few minutes then rest for a few more minutes. Arrange the neck, purée and kidneys on the plate, drizzle some salsa verde over the kidneys and serve with wilted spinach
