Tynedale chefs have shown their support for British Lamb Week, from September 1 to 7, by tempting us with their favourite recipes.
THE Boatside Inn, in Warden, has thrown down the gauntlet for British Lamb Week.
Could you eat half a lamb shoulder in one sitting?
Chef Geoff Myers laughs. "It is a meal for someone who's really hungry!"
This particular dish will boast a port and mint wine gravy, but if that's not to your taste, there's also a straight Sunday roast, the cannon of lamb that's on the Boatside's standard menu anyway this season, moussaka or Scotch pies with mushy peas.
OK, the pies are actually made with mutton, but what the hell, the meat is all locally sourced and that's the whole point of the week.
"We basically deal with Tom Stephenson (of WMH Farm Fresh Meats) at Haydon Bridge," said Geoff.
"We've also got another supplier in Carlisle who picks up on any of the special offers in the Lakeland meats, but otherwise we get all our beef, lamb, sirloin steaks and gammon off Tom."
One of Hexham Market's fruit and veg stallholders delivers to the Boatside six days a week and Geoff himself is something of a forager when it comes to the additional extras.
"I collect wild garlic in the spring, which stays a lovely bright green in garlic butter," he said, "and soon I'll be off out mushroom hunting and collecting wild brambles."
Recipe
Cannon of lamb with blackcurrant, bramble and sloe gin sauce with bubble & squeak, battened carrots, fresh asparagus and baby broccoli
Ingredients:
Cannon of lamb
10g blackcurrants
10g brambles
50ml sloe gin
140ml beef stock
1 tbsp runny honey
Butter and olive oil
Small amounts of carrot, leek, cabbage and spring onion, diced
2 medium-sized potatoes, boiled and mashed with a little butter
Battened carrots, fresh asparagus and baby broccoli.
Sprig of mint
Method:
The lamb: start by marinating the fruit overnight in the sloe gin. Gently fry the lamb cannon in butter and olive oil, browning on all sides. Place in an oven-proof dish and cook in a pre-heated oven at 180C for approximately eight minutes. Place the marinated fruit and sloe gin in a pan with the beef stock, add the honey and reduce until it thickens.
Either steam or boil your battened carrots, fresh asparagus and baby broccoli until slightly softened.
The bubble and squeak: gently cook the diced carrots, leeks, cabbage and spring onions until softened, drain and add to the mashed potato. Form into a potato cake and then gently fry in olive oil until golden brown.
To plate up: place the bubble and squeak fritters in the centre of the plate and put the lamb on top. Drizzle the fruit around the lamb and decorate with a sprig of mint. Serve with the vegetables.
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