With the arrival of Candialle to The Sourcing Table, we asked our good friend Aaron Potter (Head Chef of Michelin Starred Elystan Street) to dream up his ideal recipe to pair with these fabulous Tuscan reds. What better than slow cooked lamb to enjoy with a glass of Chianti?
Lamb breast ‘Porchetta’ with harissa and wild garlic
Summer is just around the corner, and with it comes a flourish of spring produce. To me it seemed the perfect opportunity to cook up this really delicious lamb dish, perfect for sharing and eating al fresco. If you are one of the lucky ones with a pizza or wood oven at your disposal, then this recipe is perfect cooked overnight in the residual heat of the oven, however a conventional fan-assisted oven works just as well!
In this recipe we’re going to use the breast, or belly of lamb. It's something you can find quite easily at most butchers - just ask for it with the ribs removed. Rolling and tying it in the same way as you would a 'Porchetta' makes it perfect for slow cooking. Lamb breast has so much flavour and similarly to a pork belly, has alternate layers of meat and fat that melt and tenderise during the cooking process.
Lamb breast 'Porchetta'
Ingredients:
- 1 x Lamb breast – rib bones removed
- 4 tablespoons of Rose Harissa
- 1 x large handful of picked, washed wild garlic
(for tips on foraging wild garlic, check out our other blog here) - Large pinch of sea salt
Harissa Yoghurt
Ingredients:
- 5 large tablespoons of Greek Yoghurt
- 1 x tablespoon of Rose Harissa
- 1 x teaspoon Honey
- 2 x tablespoons Olive Oil
- Squeeze of Lemon juice
Method:
- Lay your lamb breast flat on a chopping board with the rib side facing up. Spread generously with your harissa, season lightly with sea salt, and then completely cover in your wild garlic leaves.
- Find the thinner edge of your lamb breast and begin to tightly roll the breast like a swiss roll until you have a neat, tightly rolled, uniform log resembling a Porchetta.
- Using butchers twine, evenly and uniformly tie around the lamb breast to hold the shape. Make sure you do not tie it too tight as it will bow out at one end and it will not cook evenly.
- Generously spread the rest of your Harissa on the outside of your lamb belly and wrap neatly in two layers of tin foil.
- Pre-heat your oven to 90 degrees, put your lamb on a rack on an oven tray and cook overnight, or for around 8 hours. If you want to speed up the process, you could of course turn the oven up to around 130 degrees and check after 3-4 hours.
Aaron Potter cut his teeth in the kitchens of Michelin-Starred Trinity in Clapham, before stints working at top hotels and restaurants in London, New York and Sydney. After returning to Trinity to head up their kitchen for many years (and helping them gain their Michelin Star), he is now Head Chef at Michelin-Starred Elystan Street, working alongside renowned chef Phil Howard.
When he's not in the Elystan Street kitchen, you can find Aaron collaborating on 'Wildflowers General Store' which produces delicious condiments for you to enjoy at home.
