LAMB, SPRING ONION, ZHUG & SOUR CREAM
4 hours, plus 6 hours Serves 4
INGREDIENTS
Sous Vide Rack of Lamb
2 racks of lamb
2 tbsp of olive oil
1/2 bunch of rosemary
25g of butter
sea salt
freshly ground black pepper
Sour Cream
120g of sour cream
Brine
70g of table salt
1/4 tsp white peppercorns
1/4 tsp coriander seeds
1/4 tsp fennel seeds
3 sprigs of thyme
1 bay leaf
Zhug
1 bunch of coriander, leaves picked
1/2 bunch of parsley, leaves picked
1 green chilli, deseeded and finely diced
1/2 tsp cumin seeds, finely crushed
1 cardamom pod, finely crushed
2 cloves, finely crushed
1/2 tsp honey
2 garlic cloves, crushed
50ml of olive oil
1/2 tsp table salt
Sous Vide Griddled Spring Onions
2 bunches of spring onions, roots left on, washed
1 tbsp of olive oil
1/4 bunch of thyme
METHOD
To begin make the brine for the lamb, place all the ingredients in a saucepan, add 500ml warm water and bring to the boil. Simmer for 2 minutes then remove from the heat and add 500ml cold water. Allow to cool completely before using
Meanwhile, place the sour cream in a sieve lined with a muslin and place over a bowl. Leave to strain in the fridge for 6 hours or overnight.
Fully submerge the lamb racks in the brine and place in the fridge for 6 hours or overnight
After this time, scrape the strained sour cream out of the muslin into a new bowl and whisk until smooth. Place in a piping bag and refrigerate
Preheat a water bath to 55°C
When ready to cook the lamb, rinse the racks well and pat dry. Season well, place in 2 large vacuum bags and add some oil and rosemary to each one. Seal with a bar sealer and cook in the water bath for 3 hours
While the lamb is cooking, make the zhug. Place all the ingredients in a blender jug with 2 tbsp of water and blend until a chunky paste is formed. Season to taste
When ready, remove the lamb from the water bath and increase the temperature to 90°C (to cook the spring onions)
To prepare the spring onions, place in a sous vide bag with the olive oil and thyme and season well. Seal with a bar sealer and place in the water bath for 5 minutes. Meanwhile, heat a chargrill pan until almost smoking for when the spring onions are ready
To brown the lamb, place the butter in a frying pan over a high heat. When foaming, add the lamb racks fat-side down and cook until golden, for approximately 5 minutes. Remove from the pan and keep in a warm place to rest for 5 minutes
Pour any cooking juices from the sous vide bag in the pan and reduce to a glaze
Remove the spring onions from the bag and quickly brown in the chargrill pan
To serve, carve the lamb racks into 12 pieces. Divide the spring onions between the plates, add 3 lamb pieces to each plate and drizzle the pan juices over the lamb. Pipe the sour cream on the plate, spoon over some zhug and serve