TOURNEDOS OF lamb
with a Cannelloni of Braised Neck and Creamed Swiss Chard
TOURNEDOS OF LAMB
1 x 1.5 kg (3 lb 5 oz) lamb leg, boned and butterflied
1 small onion, finely diced to a brunoise
4 cloves garlic, finely diced to a brunoise
400 ml (14 fl oz) white wine
1 tablespoon thyme leaves
salt and freshly ground pepper
500 g (18 oz) fresh crepinette
CANNELLONI OF BRAISED LAMB NECK
½ bunch Swiss chard leaves
½ bunch watercress, leaves picked
½ bunch spinach leaves
1 bunch flat-leaf parsley
180 g (6 oz) unsalted butter
1 medium onion, finely diced
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
120 g (4 oz) Parmigiano Reggiano, grated
salt and freshly ground pepper
few drops lemon juice
250 g (9 oz) Braised Lamb Neck
12 Cannelloni tubes
50 g (1¾ oz) unsalted butter,melted
60 g (2 oz) breadcrumbs
fleur de sel
TO SERVE
30 ml (1 fl oz) non-scented cooking oil
80 g (23.4 oz) unsalted butter
creamed Swiss chard, kept warm
200 ml (7 fl oz) Caper Beurre Noisette, kept warm
Deep-Fried Parsley Leaves
Deep-Fried Shallot Rings
This recipe serves twelve, as that is what your average leg will yield. You can, of course, buy half a leg and simply halve the remaining ingredients as well.
TO PREPARE THE TOURNEDOS, lay the piece of lamb out on a chopping board and use a sharp knife to cut it into small strips – you should end up with around 30. Follow the natural grain and sinews of the lamb and keep the extra trimmings to one side – you should have around 400 g (14 oz). Mince the trimmings finely and set aside.
Put the onion and garlic into a heavy-based saucepan and add the wine. Bring to the boil, then lower the heat and simmer gently until the wine has reduced to almost nothing and the onions are soft. Add the thyme, season well and leave to cool. Add the cooked onion to the minced lamb trimmings. To test the flavour balance fry a small teaspoon, taste and adjust the seasonings if required.
Cut the crepinette into 2 large rectangles and lay out on your work surface. Divide the lamb strips between each crepinette and lay them end-to-end and side-by-side to form a rectangle across the crepinette, leaving a margin all around. Divide the minced lamb mixture in half and mould into sausage shapes. Lay lengthwise across the lamb rectangles then wrap the layer of lamb and the crepinette up and over the stuffing to encase it. Wrap the excess crepinette tightly around the lamb then wrap each roll tightly in a piece of cling film and then a piece of aluminium foil.
Bring a large saucepan of water to a simmer. Poach the tournedos for 2 minutes, which will be enough to set the crepinette, but not to cook the lamb. Remove the tournedos from the pan and refresh in iced water. Drain then unwrap from the cling film and foil. Set aside until ready to serve.
TO MAKE THE CANNELLONI, wash the Swiss chard, watercress, spinach and parsley leaves very well to remove all grit. Drain well.
Put two-thirds of the butter in a heavy-based saucepan and heat until it cooks to a nutbrown foam. Cool slightly then pour this beurre noisette through a fine sieve and set aside.
Heat the rest of the butter in a large saucepan, followed by the onion and garlic and sweat for 3 minutes until soft but not coloured. Add the leaves and cook until soft and wilted, turning in the pan so they cook evenly. Tip into a colander and drain well. Squeeze to extract as much liquid as you can.
Tip into a food processor and whiz to a coarse purée. As you purée, add the beurre noisette and around half the grated Parmigiano cheese. Season with salt and pepper and a few drops of lemon juice.
Tip into a mixing bowl and allow to cool. Break the braised lamb neck into fine flakes, add to the mixture and season again. Spoon into a piping bag fitted with a nozzle slightly smaller than the cannelloni tubes. Fill the tubes so they are round and fat, but be careful not to split them. The cannelloni can be prepared to this stage up to a day in advance.
To bake the cannelloni, preheat your oven to 180°C (350°F) and heat your grill to a medium-high. Brush the cannelloni with the melted butter. Mix the breadcrumbs with the rest of the grated cheese and sprinkle generously over the cannelloni. Bake in the oven for 8 minutes, then place under the grill until golden-brown.
WHEN READY TO SERVE, preheat your oven to 190°C (375°F). Heat a large baking tray on the stove top then add the oil and sear the tournedos until lightly browned all over. Transfer to the oven and roast for 12 minutes, turning every 2 minutes to ensure an even cooking. Remove from the oven, add the butter to the pan and heat to a nutbrown foam. Baste the tournedos in the pan juices for a couple of minutes then lift them onto a rack to drain. Rest in a warm place for 6 minutes. At the same time, bake the cannelloni again for 10 minutes until golden and crisp.
Carve each tournedos into 6 medallions. Serve with the creamed Swiss chard and a cannelloni. Drizzle over a little caper beurre noisette and garnish with a few leaves of deep-fried parsley and shallot rings.
Serves 12 as a main course