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"Rice Over Lamb"

Components

  • Grilled Lamb loin

  • Braised Lamb Neck

  • Carrot Gelee

  • Marinated tomatoes

  • Zucchini and Squash confit

  • White Sauce

  • Hot Sauce

  • Turmeric Puffed Rice

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  • Grilled Lamb Loin

  • Yield: 2 portions

 

Ingredients

  • 1 8 oz boneless lamb loin

  • 2 Tbs cumin seed, toasted and ground

  • 2 Tbs coriander seed, toasted and ground

  • ½ cup curry powder

  • 3 Tbs Turmeric

  • ½ gallon Extra Virgin Olive Oil

  • 6 cloves garlic, crushed

  • 1 bunch thyme

  • 4 sprigs rosemary

  • Kosher salt

 

Method

 

Turn grill on high heat. Mix all spices together and thoroughly coat the loin and massage it into the meat. Place the loin in the oil with the garlic, thyme and rosemary, and marinade for one hour. Remove the lamb loin from the marinade, allow the excess oil to drain and season evenly with salt. Grill the loin on one side to obtain dark marks, flip upside down to mark the other side, rotate and flip again to achieve a square crosshatch pattern and flip once more to complete the grilling process for an even internal temperature and consistent aesthetic exterior. Allow the meat to rest for five minutes and slice into half- inch thick portions.

 

​Braised Lamb Neck

  • Yield: 2 portions

 

Ingredients

  • 5 # lamb neck

  • 2 Tbs cumin seed, toasted and ground

  • 2 Tbs coriander seed, toasted and ground

  • ½ cup curry powder

  • 3 Tbs Turmeric

  • ½ gallon Extra Virgin Olive Oil

  • 6 cloves garlic, crushed

  • 1 bunch thyme

  • 4 sprigs rosemary

  • 4 lemons, zested and sliced in half

  • Kosher salt

  • 4 oz canola oil

  • 1 bottle red wine

  • 8 quarts lamb jus

  • 2 onions, peeled and quartered

  • 1 carrot, peeled and cut into ½ inch chunks

  • 2 stalks celery, cut into ½ inch chunks

  • 1 head garlic, split in half horizontally

  • 8 sheets gelatin

 

Method

 

Mix the spices together and coat the neck completely. Refrigerate and allow to dry marinade for 24 hours. Submerge the necks in the olive oil with the cloves of garlic, thyme, rosemary, lemons, and marinade for an additional 8 hours. Preheat oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit. Season the neck with a liberal coating of salt. Sear the neck over medium heat in the canola oil until deep brown on all sides. Remove the neck from the pan, place in a pan deep enough to cover its surface and drain the excess oil from the pan. Add the aromatics to the pan and deglaze with the red wine. Reduce the wine by half and add the lamb jus. Once the lamb jus reaches a simmer, pour the liquid over the lamb neck, making sure it is covered by ¾. Braise the lamb in the oven for about 6 hours, or until it is very tender. Strain the braising liquid into a saucepot and reduce it by ¾. Bloom the gelatin in ice water. When it is cool enough to handle, separate the meat from the bone and place the braised lamb in a shallow baking dish. Whisk the gelatin into the reduced braising liquid and pour over the braised meat. Mix the meat thoroughly and taste for seasoning. Lay into a 1-inch-thick layer in the baking dish and top with a pan that presses against the meat evenly. Place a five-pound weight on top of the dish and allow the meat to cool under pressure in the refrigerator. Once completely cool, carefully extract the meat from the pan and cut into even rectangular portions.

 

Carrot Gelee

  • Yield: 1 pint

 

Ingredients

  • 1 cup carrot juice

  • 1 Tbs turmeric

  • 1 tsp ground cumin

  • 1 Tbs kosher salt

  • 3 grams agar agar

  • 3 sheets gelatin, bloomed

 

Method

 

Whisk the carrot juice, turmeric, cumin, salt, and agar together in a small saucepot. Heat the pot over medium-high heat while whisking. Once the mixture reaches a boil for five minutes, remove from the heat and whisk in the gelatin. Strain the mixture through a chinois directly onto a flat stainless steel or plastic tray to set and place in the refrigerator. Once the mixture is set and cooled, place a portion of the lamb on the sheet and cut around it, leaving ¼ of an inch on all sides. Use a small offset spatula to lift the lamb and gel off the pan and allow the carrot gelee to coat the outside of the lamb. Warm in the oven to serve.

 

Marinated Cherry tomatoes

  • Yield: 8 tomatoes

 

Ingredients

  • 8 cherry tomatoes, scored on the top and bottom

  • 1 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil

  • 2 sprigs thyme

  • 3 cloves garlic, crushed

  • 1 lemon, zested and juiced

  • Kosher salt

 

Method

 

Bring a medium-sized pot of water to a boil. Add enough salt to the water to season, but not as salty as pasta water. Blanch the tomatoes just until the skins begin to peel from the flesh, about 8 seconds, and shock in an ice water bath. Peel the tomatoes and place directly into the olive oil, thyme, garlic, and lemon mixture.

 

Confit Zucchini and Squash

  • Yield: 2 portions

 

Ingredients

  • 1 zucchini

  • 1 yellow summer squash

  • 1 quart Extra Virgin Olive oil

  • 2 sprigs rosemary

  • 1 bunch thyme

  • 4 cloves garlic, crushed

  • Kosher salt

 

Method

 

Use a melon baller to carve circles out of the zucchini and squash, making sure to include the bright skin in each sphere. Season the rounds with salt. In a shallow metal pan or saucepot, heat the olive oil with the remaining ingredients to infuse. Once the oil reaches a high enough temperature to lightly brown the garlic, remove from the heat, add the squash and zucchini balls to the mixture and allow to cool at room temperature.

 

White Sauce

  • Yield: 1 cup

 

Ingredients

  • ½ cup mayonnaise

  • ¼ cup white distilled vinegar

  • 4 oz grated cucumber

  • 1 Tbs ground cumin

  • 1 Tbs Za’atar

  • 1 Tbs Kosher salt

 

Method

 

Whisk all ingredients together and taste for seasoning.

 

Turmeric Puffed Rice

  • Yield: One Tray dried rice

 

Ingredients

  • 1 pint Sushi Rice

  • 1 cup Rice Vinegar

  • ½ cup Kosher salt

  • 1 cup Turmeric

  • ½ cup ground cumin

  • 1 gallon canola oil

  • 1 Tbs Espelette Pepper

 

Method

 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Place rice, rice vinegar, salt, turmeric, and cumin in a large saucepot with 2 quarts of hot water. Cover the pot with aluminum foil and place in the oven for about 1 hour to cook until the grains of rice are easily crushed, and the liquid is extremely thick and starchy. Line a tray with acetate paper and spread the rice mixture in an even layer. Allow the rice to completely dry and dehydrate overnight. Heat a pot of the canola oil until just before the smoke point. Test a small piece of the dried rice to see that it bubbles quickly and can be pulled out instantly without turning brown. Break off chunks of the rice sheet and fry very quickly in the oil and season with salt and a bit of the Espelette for color.

 

Plating

 

Begin by grilling the lamb loins and heating the braised lamb neck portion (lamb neck recipe and description is available in the Pursuit of Passion, pages 93 and 94, as well as by contacting Chef Jamie through the website: www.pursuitofpassion.net .

 

While the hot elements are warming and cooking, drain the tomatoes and zucchini on paper towels and place in a linear pattern in the center of the plate. Shave a cucumber on a mandolin lengthwise, slice the planks into quarter-inch strips and roll up to create cucumber ribbons. Dress the cucumbers with lemon juice and salt and arrange around the plate in whimsical fashion. Use a squeeze bottle or piping bag to dot the plate with the white sauce and another one for the hot sauce (in much smaller quantities of course).

 

Once the lamb neck is hot and the loins rested, trim the edges of the loins, and cut each in quarters. Drain on paper towels and place the braised lamb to the left of the garnish and the loin—with alternating pieces showing the grilled side up followed by the rosy red medium rare side up—to the right to complete the duo of lamb. Top the dish with the rice cracker and enjoy!

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