RECIPE: Spring lamb is now at its best...here's how to enjoy

It’s when the meat is at its best and the Walled Garden at Barton Grange wants to share one of their favourite spring recipes.

The combination of succulent lamb with the fragrant rosemary potatoes and delicious cabbage and pancetta is a perfect culinary marriage and a real treat for the taste buds.

INGREDIENTS

4 square cut lamb rumps at 250g each – preferably Woodplumpton from your local Lancashire butcher

2 sprigs of rosemary

1 clove garlic

Smoked Maldon sea salt (or an alternative from your local 
supermarket)

Black pepper

1kg Maris Piper potatoes - peeled and grated

2 sprigs rosemary

50g melted butter

Salt and pepper

4 whole bulbs garlic

50ml olive oil

1 sprig of thyme

2 bay leaves

1 sprig rosemary

2 star anise

Salt and pepper

1 Savoy cabbage - quartered and finely sliced

2 onion shallots

150g pancetta

50g butter

100ml double cream

1ltr rich lamb stock

1 medium onion

1 carrot

1 celery stick

50g red currant jelly

1 sprig garden mint

1 sprig garden sage

50g diced butter (unsalted)

METHOD

Roasted Lamb

1. Gently score the fat side of the lamb rump, then finely chop the herbs and garlic and rub into the lamb

2. In a thick frying pan sear off the lamb over a high heat until golden brown. Season with the smoked salt and pepper and roast for 14 min at 200C in a large roasting tin. Remove from the oven and set aside to rest for at least 10 minutes. The lamb will be medium/rare at this point so cook for longer if you prefer your lamb cooked medium/well done.

3. Reserve until needed

Rosti

1. Grate the potatoes into large bowl, add salt and pepper to taste and mix well. The salt will start to draw the moisture out of the potato almost straight away. Take a hand full of the grated potato and squeeze as hard as you can to remove the liquid and place in a clean bowl. Repeat until you have transferred all the potato.

2. Melt the butter and finely chopped rosemary

3. Add both to the grated potato and mix well

4. Place the potato mix into large non stick Yorkshire pudding tray or large metal rings on a non stick baking tray, gently press the potato mix into tray/ring until full, making sure the edges are as even and as neat as possible.

5. Bake at 160C for 17 – 20 minutes, until golden brown and crispy on the outside.

Whole garlic

1. Slice the top from garlic to expose the flesh, then repeat for each one and place all four on to a large piece of tin foil

2. Pour olive oil on to the garlic and place the herbs on top, finally season with salt and pepper

3. Carefully wrap the garlic up in the tin foil and gently bake for 40 minutes at 160C until the garlic flesh is soft and golden in colour

Cabbage

1. Finely chop the shallots and pancetta and melt with the butter in a large saucepan, gently sautee until soft.

2. Add the cream and bring to the boil.

3. Add the finely sliced cabbage and stir constantly. The cabbage will take about 6 to 7 minutes to cook and the cream liquid should be reduced to a thick consistency so it coats the cabbage.

Lamb sauce

1. Roughly chop the vegetables and brown in large saucepan for five minutes

2. Add the sage, mint, red currant jelly and stock and bring to boil until it has reduced by three-quarters

3. Pass the sauce through a fine sieve into a medium pan and bring back to the boil. Remove from the heat and gently whisk in the butter until fully incorporated.

To serve

1. Place a quarter of the potato rosti off centre on a plate and place a quarter of cabbage mix on top of the rosti

2. Place one of the roasted garlic next to rosti

3. Slice one of the lamb rumps into four and place on top of cabbage, pour the sauce over the lamb and around the plate

4. Repeat for four servings

5. Finally, the most important part - Enjoy!