Cooking With Connemara Mountain Lamb
Recent research has shown that consumers believe that Lamb is the tastiest of all meats and we are providing you with a range of simple recipe ideas for cooking lamb at home.
Organic Lamb Gigot Chops with Paprika
Ingredients
- 4 gigot chops, trimmed
- 1 teasp. smoked paprika
- 1 clove garlic, chopped
- 1 tablesp. olive oil
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- Selection of stir-fried vegetables to serve i.e. mushrooms, peppers, broccoli, scallions
Method
Combine the paprika, garlic, olive oil and seasoning. Place the chops in a dish and pour over the marinade. Leave for as long as you have. 15- 20 minutes is perfect for Connemara lamb.
Heat a pan or barbecue and cook for 3-4 minutes on each side, depending on thickness, until golden.
Heat a little more oil in a wok or large frying pan and stri-fry the vegetables for a couple of minutes.
Serve the chops with the vegetables and your favourite potatoes or some crusty bread.
Serving Suggestions
Boulangere Potatoes are delicious if you have time – simply layer some thinly sliced potatoes and shallots or onions in a baking dish. Add seasoning and a few more knobs of butter as you do the layers. Finish off with some chicken stock. Heat the oven to Gas Mark 4, 180°C (350°F) and bake for 40 minutes until the potatoes are tender.
Organic Lamb and Vegetable Broth
Ingredients
- 675g neck of lamb on the bone, chopped into big pieces
- 1 large onion, finely chopped
- 2 bay leaves
- 1.4 litres water
- 2-3 carrots, diced
- ½ turnip, diced (optional)
- ¼ small white cabbage, shredded
- 2-3 leeks, shredded
- 1 tablesp. tomato puree
- Chopped parsley
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Method
Trim any excess fat from the meat. Place the lamb, onion and bay leaves in a roomy saucepan. Add the water and bring slowly to the boil. Skim and then simmer gently for approximately 1½-2 hours. Lift the meat onto a board. Remove the meat from the bones and cut into small pieces. Discard the bones and return the meat to the broth. Add the vegetables, tomato puree, parsley and season well. Simmer for a further 30 minutes.
Serving Suggestions
Serve with wholemeal bread
Butterfly Leg of Organic Lamb with Spicy Yoghurt Dressing
Ingredients
- 1 leg of Lamb, boned and butterflied
- 2 tablesp. curry paste
- 3 tablesp.olive oil
- 2-3 cloves garlic, chopped
- 1x 250g (10 oz) tub thick Greek- style yoghurt
- 3 tablesp. mint chopped
- Salt and black pepper
Method
A day ahead:
Mix the curry paste with 2 tablesp. of the oil and the garlic, spread it over the lamb, cover and leave in the fridge overnight.
To roast or barbecue:
Set the oven to Gas Mark 6, 200ºC (400ºF) / heat or light the barbecue.
To roast:
Heat a large pan, place the lamb on the hot pan, season and brown well on both sides then place on a roasting dish and cook for 45 mins. approx for pink lamb.
To barbecue:
Place the lamb on the hot barbecue and cook for 20/25 minutes approx. on each side over a medium heat.
Dressing:
Mix the yoghurt with 2 tablesp. mint, 1 tablesp. oil and seasoning.
To butterfly a leg of lamb
Your butcher will prepare this for you with a little notice! If you'd like to do it yourself -- this is how. The idea is to open the leg of lamb out flat, removing the bones.
- Place the leg on a board with the thinner covering of flesh uppermost. Locate the first bone and slice along the length of it, cutting right down to the bone.
- Cut the meat away from the bone. Ease out the bone and repeat with the 2 remaining bones.
- Open out the meat and trim excess fat.
Serving Suggestions
If you have roasted the lamb, boil up the pan juices with a tablesp. of redcurrant jelly (optional) and serve with the sliced lamb. Before carving sprinkle the last tablesp. mint over the lamb. Serve the dressing on the side. Also very good with the lamb are baby potatoes and vegetables roasted at the same time with olive oil and sea salt. Next day: Great cold with a baked potato and the last slices will make gourmet sandwiches.
Lyndey Milan's Rack of lamb with brown bread crust & crushed peas
Ingredients
¼ cup (60ml) rapeseed or olive oil- 2 racks (300g) of lamb (4 cutlets each)
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 small (250g) kumara, peeled and diced
- 6 button mushrooms, sliced
- 300g (2 ½ cups) peas
Herb Crust
- 2 thick slices brown bread
- 1/4 bunch parsley
- 8 sprigs rosemary
- 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon (20g) butter
- 1 tablespoon (20ml) rapeseed or olive oil
Method
1. Place a large deep-sided pot (like a Chasseur) over medium high heat. Add one tablespoon (20ml) oil. Season lamb with salt and pepper and sear on all sides (optional for pot method). Alternatively preheat oven to 200°C (180°C fan-forced).
2. Either process dry herb crust ingredients together and then add wet, or chop by hand and mix well. Pack crust onto the fat side of the lamb, pressing down very firmly so it adheres to the meat.
3. Place in pot and cover with lid. (Or place in a baking dish in a pre-heated 180’C oven). Cook for 10 minutes for medium rare or until cooked as desired. Remove to a warm place, cover with foil and allow to rest.
4. Heat a frying pan over medium heat and add remaining two tablespoons (40ml) oil. Add kumara and stir frequently to cook until golden on all sides. Add mushrooms, stir well and cook briefly until mushrooms are just cooked.
5. Meanwhile bring a small saucepan of salted water to the boil. Add peas and cook briefly. Drain and mash.
6. Mound crushed peas in the centre of two plates. Surround with kumara and mushrooms and top with herb crusted lamb.
Roast Leg of Lamb with Spicy Topping
Ingredients
- 1 leg of lamb approx. 2 ½kgs
- Salt and freshly-ground black pepper Spice Mixture Ingredients
- 1 tablesp. ground turmeric
- 1 tablesp. ground cumin
- Half teasp. chilli flakes
- 1 teasp. cayenne
- 1 teasp. ground ginger
- Half teasp. cinnamon
- 1 lemon, rind and juice
- 1 tablesp. honey
- 1 tablesp chopped ginger
Method
A day ahead if possible, mix the spice mixture and rub over the lamb, leave in the fridge overnight. Heat the oven to Gas Mark 5, 190°C (375°F). Remove the lamb from the fridge 20-30 minutes before cooking to allow it to get to room temperature. Place the lamb in a roasting tin, season, then place – uncovered – in the oven and roast for 1¼ hours. The lamb will be cooked medium at this stage. Remove from the oven, wrap loosely in foil and allow to rest for 15 minutes before carving.
Serving Suggestions
Roast some potatoes and red onions alongside the lamb for the last 50 minutes. Steam a mixture of green vegetables such as beans, mange tout and asparagus. Season with a little salt and black pepper and stir through a little softened butter.
