INGREDIENTS
Pickled onions
12 pearl onions, peeled
125 ml (½ cup) white wine vinegar
125 ml (½ cup) water
2 tbsp white sugar
1 tsp salt flakes
1 tsp chilli flakes
Saddle of lamb with herb stuffing
20 g butter
1 shallot, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 cup lightly packed parsley leaves
6 sprigs thyme
1 sprig rosemary
50 g (¼ cup) hazelnuts
50 g (½ cup) dried breadcrumbs
1 egg
Salt flakes and pepper, to taste
1 x 1.6 kg boned and skinned lamb saddle
Lamb fat potatoes
1 kg roasting potatoes, peeled and cut into large pieces
1 sprig rosemary
Salt flakes and pepper, to taste
Marsala and pepper jus
2 shallots, finely chopped
1 tsp black peppercorns, lightly cracked
1 tsp native pepper, such as Horopito in New Zealand or pepperberry in Australia
1 bay leaf
1 sprig thyme
1 tbsp plain flour
250 ml (1 cup) Marsala wine
500 ml (2 cups) beef stock
1 tsp white sugar, or to taste
Salt flakes, to taste
METHOD
Pickled onions
- Peel the pearl onions, leaving them whole. Place in a small vacuum sealing bag.
- Combine the remaining ingredients in a medium saucepan on medium-high heat, induction setting 7 and bring to a boil. Remove from the heat and cool slightly.
- Pour the pickling liquid into the vacuum sealing bag with the onions.
- Place into the vacuum sealing drawer and Vacuum on level 3 and Seal on level 3.
- Place the sealed bag onto a baking and roasting rack in the steam oven and Steam at 85°C for 1 hour.
Saddle of lamb with herb stuffing
- Melt the butter in a small frying pan on medium-high heat, induction setting 7. Cook the shallot and garlic for 5 minutes, or until soft. Remove from the heat and allow to cool.
- Blend or process the parsley, thyme, rosemary, hazelnut and breadcrumbs until combined. In a small bowl, combine the herb mixture, egg, and shallots. Season to taste.
- Remove excess fat from the lamb saddle, leaving 5 mm of fat on the edge. Remove excess fat from the inside.
- Remove the eye fillets from the lamb saddle, remove sinew and silver skin and return to the saddle.
- Place the stuffing between the two backstraps. Roll the saddle together, remove any excess lamb so it only overlaps by 5 cm, reserve these trimmings for the sauce. Using kitchen string, tie the saddle, then rub with salt and pepper.
- Place the lamb on a grilling and roasting insert in a universal tray. Place into the oven on shelf level 2 and insert the food probe into the centre of the meat.
- Select User Programmes and create the following:
Stage 1: Select Fan Grill at 250°C + 30 minutes.
Stage 2: Select Moisture Plus with Fan Plus + 55⁰C Core temperature + 110⁰C.
Save and start programme. - Remove the lamb from the tray, cover loosely with foil and place into a deep warming drawer on Keeping food warm setting 1 (approximately 65°C) to rest. Alternatively, rest the lamb in a warm area until ready to serve.
- Pour the fat from the lamb tray into a gourmet oven dish and reserve to make the potatoes.
Lamb fat potatoes
- Place the potatoes in a perforated steam container and steam at 100°C for 25 minutes, or until tender.
- Place the potatoes into the gourmet oven dish with the reserved lamb fat and the rosemary, toss well to combine.
- Place the gourmet oven dish into the combi steam Pro oven on shelf level 2.
- Select Combi mode: Fan Plus at 220°C + 0% moisture + 30 minutes, or until the potatoes are crisp all over.
Turn the potatoes every 10 minutes while roasting.
Marsala and pepper jus
- Heat a medium saucepan with the reserved lamb trimmings on medium heat, induction setting 6, add the shallots and sauté for 2 minutes, or until translucent.
- Add the pepper, herbs and flour to the saucepan and cook for 1 minute, stirring continuously.
- Add the Marsala and bring the sauce to a boil on high heat, induction setting 8 and cook for 3 minutes. Add the beef stock and return to a boil.
- Reduce to a simmer on medium heat, induction setting 5, for 10 minutes or until the sauce is reduced to 1 ½ cups. Season to taste with sugar and salt.
- Strain the sauce into a serving jug.
To serve
- Slice the lamb into 6 thick pieces. Serve with the Marsala and pepper jus, halved pickled onions and roast potatoes.
Hints and Tips
- Saddle of lamb is an often-underused cut of lamb. It is a double boned and rolled loin roast. Ask your butcher to cut this for you ahead of time, as it will be cut to order.
- If you’re unable to source a saddle of lamb, this recipe works equally well with a boned shoulder.
- This recipe makes extra pickled onions, they can be stored for months in the fridge.
- The potatoes can be cooked in the oven using Crisp function if you don’t have a combi steam Pro oven.