CREPINETTE OF lamb
with Herb Crushed Potatoes and Ratatouille Jus

LAMB CREPINETTES

1 x 8 bone lamb rack

salt and freshly ground pepper

80 ml (2¾ fl oz) non-scented cooking oil

80 g (2¾ oz) lambs’ liver, skinned, trimmed and diced

100 g (3½ oz) lambs’ kidneys, skinned, trimmed and diced

160 g (5½ oz) Lambs’ Sweetbreads

30 g (1 oz) unsalted butter

few drops lemon juice

200 g (7 oz) Chicken Mousse

1 tablespoon flat-leaf parsley, very finely chopped

200 g (7 oz) crepinette, cut into 4 squares

RATATOUILLE JUS

100 ml (3½ fl oz) extra-virgin olive oil

1 small red capsicum, diced finely to a brunoise

1 small yellow capsicum, diced finely to a brunoise

1 small green zucchini, diced finely to a brunoise

1 small yellow zucchini, diced finely to a brunoise

1 baby eggplant, diced finely to a brunoise

200 ml (7 fl oz) Lamb Jus

2 firm ripe tomatoes, finely chopped

TO SERVE

50 ml (1¾ fl oz) non-scented cooking oil

60 g (2 oz) unsalted butter

400 g (14 oz) Herb Crushed Potatoes

200 ml (7 fl oz) Raw Tomato Coulis

TO PREPARE THE LAMB CREPINETTES, trim away all the sinew from the lamb rack then remove every second bone and cut the rack into 4 double cutlets. If you are unconfident about doing this yourself, ask your butcher to do it for you.

Heat a heavy-based frying pan until smoking. Season the lamb cutlets with salt and pepper and sear for a few seconds on each side until lightly browned. Remove from the pan and set aside.

Add the oil to the hot pan, followed by the diced liver and kidney. Toss in the pan for a few seconds and season with salt and pepper – be careful not to overcook, you want both the liver and kidneys to stay juicy and pink. Drain on kitchen paper and leave to cool.

Season the sweetbreads well. Add a little extra oil to the pan then add the sweetbreads, smooth side down. Lower the heat a little and fry the sweetbreads without turning for 3 minutes until golden brown and caramelised. Add the butter and heat to a nutbrown foam. Lower the heat a little more and cook the sweetbreads for another minute in the foam, still without turning.

Add a few drops of lemon juice to the pan, turn the sweetbreads over and baste briefly in the foam. The flat side should be caramelised a lovely deep golden brown and they should still be creamy and soft in the centre. Remove from the pan and leave to cool.

When cool, put the liver, kidney and sweetbreads into a large mixing bowl. Add the chicken mousse and parsley and season with salt and pepper. Mix thoroughly then divide the mixture into 4 even portions and mould firmly around the double cutlets. Wrap securely in the crepinette and season.

TO PREPARE THE RATATOUILLE JUS, heat the olive oil in a large heavy-based saucepan. Sweat all the diced vegetables except for the tomatoes, until soft and tender, around 2 minutes. Add the lamb jus to the pan and heat through. Keep warm until ready to serve. Add the tomatoes just before serving.

TO SERVE, preheat your oven to 180°C (350°F). Heat a heavy-based ovenproof frying pan until hot. Add the oil then fry the crepinettes for 4 minutes until golden brown and caramelised all over. Add the butter and heat to a nutbrown foam. Baste the crepinettes and roast in the oven for 8 minutes. Turn and baste them every few minutes. Remove from the oven and place on a rack to rest for 4 minutes.

Warm the herb crushed potatoes and place a spoonful in the centre of 4 warm serving plates. Arrange a lamb crepinette on top of the potato and spoon the ratatouille jus around the plate. Drizzle with tomato coulis and serve immediately.

Serves 4 as a main course