Garnish 12 baby yarrow leaves 12 dill flowers 12 sprigs chickpea shoots or pea tendrils.
Method
To make the chicken mousse, dice the chicken breast then purée in a food processor with the egg white and a good pinch of salt. Pass the puréed chicken through a sieve then chill in a bowl set over another bowl of ice. When the chicken is very cold, beat the cream into the chicken. Finely shred the basil and add to the chicken mousse. Test the mousse for seasoning and consistency. Place mousse in the refrigerator until needed.
Trim the lamb breast into a even size, season with a little salt and pepper and place in a sous-vide bag with a little olive oil. Seal the bag with a vacuum sealer (full bar) and then place the bag in a preheated water-bath set at 64°C. Cook for 1 hour.
Bone the lamb leg. Find the largest muscle on the top of the leg and carefully cut the muscle from the rest of the leg. Reserve the lamb leg for another dish. Remove all the sinew from the muscle. Microplane one of the garlic cloves, rub the lamb muscle with the garlic, season with salt and pepper and a little of the fennel pollen and place in a sous-vide bag with a little olive oil. Place in the water-bath set at 64°C and cook for 45 minutes.
For the stuffed saddle, first remove the fillet from the underside of the saddle, remove all fat and sinew from the fillet, and set aside. Remove the skin from the saddle then remove the loin, keeping the belly flap attached. Score the inside of the belly and then bat the belly with a meat mallet until the belly is very thin.
Split the reserved fillet in half to open it up, lightly dust the fillet with meat glue and press it on to the inside of the loin. Spoon some of the chicken mousse over the loin then dust the belly with meat glue. Roll the loin so that the belly wraps around the loin. Lay out a sheet of the crépinette and roll the loin in the crépinette. Wrap in clingfilm and secure the ends by tying in a knot. Poach the loin in the water-bath set at 64°C for 45 minutes.
To prepare the lamb rack, remove the skin then cut away the fat on the bones from about 1 cm from the top of the eye. Remove the meat from the bones and then using a knife, scrape the bones clean. Set aside until ready to roast.
To make the puffed quinoa, boil the quinoa for 8 minutes in salted water then drain and dehydrate for 1 hour. Heat the vegetable oil in a saucepan to 200°C. Place the dried quinoa in a sieve and lower into the hot oil. The quinoa should puff up in seconds. Remove the sieve from the oil and drain on a paper towel and season with salt. Leave to cool then mix with the chopped chives and set aside.
For the sauce, heat a heavy-based saucepan over a high heat, add the butter and once it is foaming add the lamb trimmings, season with a little salt and cook until they are well caramelised. Add the carrot, shallots, mushrooms and garlic. Cook for 5 minutes or until the vegetables have softened, drain off some of the fat from the pan and then add the herbs, wine and vinegar.
Reduce the mixture until syrupy and then add the veal stock. Bring to the boil and skim away any scum that forms on the surface of the sauce. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook until the sauce is at the right consistency. Taste for seasoning, pass the sauce through a sieve and set aside until ready to serve.
To make the caramelised yoghurt, place the yoghurt into a saucepan and bring to the boil. Cook until the yoghurt is golden in colour (do not burn). Remove from the heat and add the miso and water, blend to a smooth purée and then place in a squeeze bottle and set aside.
For the minted pea purée, boil the peas for 4 minutes or until tender in salted water. Drain and then purée in a blender with the mint until smooth. Season. Pass the purée through a sieve then chill over ice to keep the green colour.
Prepare the vegetables and cook until tender. Toss with a little melted butter.
Finishing Season the lamb rack with salt and pepper and seal in a small frying pan until lightly brown. Place the rack on its fat side and add a knob of butter to the pan. Place in a oven set to 180°C and roast for 3 to 4 minutes.
Turn the rack over and baste with the butter, add a crushed clove of garlic and a sprig of thyme to the pan and return the rack to the oven for another 2 to 3 minutes. Remove the rack from the pan and rest.
Take the breast, loin and leg (or rump) from the water-bath, remove them from their bags and dry. Brown each cut in foaming butter and set aside.
Warm the minted pea purée, the sauce and the vegetables. Place two spoonfuls of the minted pea purée on to the plate. Slice the lamb breast into ribs, brush the fat side with Dijon mustard and dip into the puffed quinoa.
Cut the rack into cutlets.
Slice the loin and the leg (or rump).
Arrange the different cuts of lamb on the plate and arrange the vegetables around the meat. Dot the caramelised yoghurt around the plate and spoon over a little of the sauce. Garnish with the dill flowers, baby yarrow leaves and chickpea sprouts and serve.
Recipe: Matt Moran
Photo: John Corbett alimentary.co.nz
