Recipe: Connemara mountain lamb with beetroot

29 March 2022
Recipe: Connemara mountain lamb with beetroot

A recipe from Rekindling the Fire: Food and the Journey of Life by Martin Ruffley and Anna King

This lamb dish represents my time working as a messenger boy for Colleran's butchers on Mainguard Street, where I would deliver the meat orders all over the city on an old bicycle. My mother was delighted with me, since Mr Colleran was a very kind and generous man: on a Saturday evening when work was all done, and in addition to my wage, he would give me a big parcel of meat to bring home. It warms my heart to see that this family butcher is still open for business today.

Serves 4

  • 800g lamb loin
  • 1kg lamb breast
  • 1kg lamb bones
  • 1500ml chicken stock
  • 200g butter
  • 10g wild garlic
  • Lemon thyme, a few sprigs
  • 500g potatoes
  • 400g baby beetroots
  • Brine (see below)

Brine the lamb breast overnight and store in the refrigerator.

Remove from the brine and dry with kitchen paper. Season and slow cook in the oven for five to six hours at 160°C, until it is wonderfully tender (retain some of the fat). Allow to cool and shred the meat gently by hand.

Thinly slice the peeled potatoes (a mandolin is very useful). Lightly butter a roasting dish and line with parchment paper. Start with a layer of seasoned sliced potatoes and alternate with cooked shredded lamb meat, finishing with a layer of potato (boulangere).

Cover with more parchment paper and cook in a hot oven at 180°C for 45 minutes, or until the potatoes are cooked.

Place a heavy tray/ plate on top to compress and chill in the refrigerator overnight.

Make the lamb jus (see below).

Wash the beets, wrap in tinfoil, bake for 25 minutes and put aside.

Turn the potato and lamb terrine onto a chopping board. Cut into 10cm long and 3cm wide portions. Season the lamb loin and sear on a hot pan until nicely browned. Roast for 20 minutes and rest for 15 minutes in a warm place.

While your lamb is resting, panfry the potato and lamb terrine on both sides to golden brown.

Finish the lamb and potato terrine and the beets in the same oven. Heat the lamb jus (see below) and add any juice from the rested loin.

To serve: place the potato and lamb terrine on the plate. Add the carved loin, baby beetroot and pour over the sauce. Garnish with wild garlic.

Brine

  • 300g sea salt
  • 120g brown sugar
  • 2tsp pink curing salt
  • 1 sprig of rosemary
  • 3 garlic cloves (crushed)
  • 6 juniper berries
  • 2 star anise
  • 4l water

Place all the ingredients into a non-reactive pan. Bring to the boil, ensuring that both the salt and sugar have dissolved. Allow to cool.

Add your lamb to the brine and store for two to three days in the refrigerator. Rinse the lamb in cold water. Dry, cover and chill for another four hours and use as required.

Lamb jus

  • 1kg lamb bones
  • 2000ml chicken stock (see below)
  • 3 shallots
  • 5g butter

Brown the bones in a hot oven. Brown the shallots and cut in half with the skins on.

Place into a pan, add chicken stock and bring to the boil.

Simmer gently for 45 minutes, skimming any impurities that rise to the surface. Strain and reduce by half. Remove from heat, whisk in some butter, check for seasoning and serve.

Chicken stock

Most chicken stocks tend to use chicken carcasses, onion, celery, carrot, etc. What I am trying to achieve here is to maximise the chicken flavour by limiting the amount of aromatics to onion, apple for a little acidity and some thyme. The result is an excellent chicken stock.

  • 3kg chicken wings
  • 1 onion
  • 1 apple
  • Thyme, a small sprig
  • 4l water

Brown the chicken wings in a hot oven (180°C). Drain wings in a colander. Place the wings, cold water, apple and thyme in a pan. Bring to a simmer and skim all the fat from the surface.

Continue to simmer gently and skim regularly for about three hours.

Chill the stock and refrigerate overnight. Remove all the solidified fat from the surface. Bring the stock to a simmer and then pass through a sieve or muslin cloth.

Image: Julia Dunin

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