Chestnut-Crusted Lamb

Australian Lamb, Chestnut Purée, Jujube-Lima Bean Stew, Pickled Jujubes, Delicata Squash, Lamb Jus

Chef Rasika Venkatesa of Mourad | San Francisco

---

Adapted by StarChefs | november 2022

INGREDIENTS:

Lamb Crust:
Yield: 3 quarts
500 grams chestnuts 
30 grams whole coriander seeds
30 grams whole pink peppercorns
10 grams salt
10 grams chopped parsley
10 grams chopped tarragon

Lamb Jus:
Yield: 22 quarts
12½ pounds Australian lamb bones
12½ pounds chicken feet 
900 grams chopped yellow onions
450 grams chopped carrots
227 grams chopped celery

Lamb Marinade:
Yield: 4-5 portions
1 Australian lamb belly, deboned 
1 Australian lamb loin, deboned from saddle and sinew removed
60 grams baharat spice mix
60 grams ground cumin
15 grams pink curing salt
30 grams salt
50 grams transglutaminase

Lamb:
Canola oil

Roasted Chestnut Pureé:
Yield: 6 quarts
100 grams butter
800 grams sliced yellow onions
60 grams sliced garlic
2.5 kilograms chestnuts, roasted and cleaned
10 grams salt 
25 grams East African spice mix
1 gallon heavy cream
2 quarts vegetable stock
5 grams lemon juice 

Jujube-Lima Bean Stew:
Yield: 4 quarts
25 grams extra virgin olive oil
15 grams finely chopped yellow onions
10 grams finely chopped garlic
500 grams jujubes, deseeded
400 grams lima beans, soaked in water overnight
10 grams salt
Sachet of toasted cinnamon sticks, star anise, fennel seeds, and whole black peppercorns
5 grams lemon juice 

Pickled Jujubes:
Yield: 10 servings
5 jujubes, sliced into ½-inch thick slices
300 grams golden balsamic vinegar
150 grams sugar 
2 grams crushed marash chile

Roasted Delicata Squash:
Yield: 2 servings
1 delicata squash, deseeded, cut into 2-inch rounds
7 grams extra virgin olive oil
5 grams salt
3 grams ground black pepper

Lamb Sauce:
Yield: 4 quarts
10 grams canola oil
25 grams sliced ginger
400 grams sliced shallots
25 grams fresno chile peppers, deseeded and sliced
15 grams sliced garlic
375 milliliters Madeira

To Assemble and Serve:
Yield: 6 servings
Purslane
Fleur de sel

METHOD:

For the Lamb Crust:
Heat oven to 400°F. Place chestnuts on a baking sheet and roast 20 minutes. Peel the outer shell and let cool. In a pan over medium heat, toast coriander and peppercorns until fragrant. Transfer cooled chestnuts and toasted spices to a food processor and pulse until a semi-fine consistency is reached. Transfer to a non-reactive container, fold in parsley and tarragon, and season with salt. Refrigerate.

For the Lamb Jus:
Heat oven to 375°F. Place lamb bones and chicken feet on baking sheet. Roast until golden brown. Set aside. Place vegetables on baking sheet and roast until golden brown. In a large stock pot, combine lamb bones, chicken feet, vegetables, and 77 liters water. Bring to a boil and let simmer 24 hours. Strain the stock into a separate pot, return to stovetop, and reduce liquid by half. Transfer to a non-reactive container and reserve.

For the Lamb Marinade:
Heat oven to 375°F. Place lamb belly between 2 pieces of plastic wrap. Using a meat mallet or a heavy-bottomed pan, tenderize lamb until it is 1-inch thick. In a bowl, combine baharat spice mix, cumin, and salts. Set aside. Place lamb belly on a fresh sheet of plastic wrap, and season both sides with approximately half of the spice mix. Using a tea strainer, sprinkle 30 grams transglutaminase onto the flesh side of the lamb belly. Place lamb loin on the lamb belly, trimming edges of the belly so there is no overhang. Season loin with remaining spice mix and transglutaminase to evenly coat and ensure belly sticks to the loin. Using the plastic wrap, form a tight roulade to avoid any air from penetrating. Tie the ends tightly with butcher's twine. Refrigerate overnight. 

For the Roasted Chestnut Purée:
In a pot over medium heat, melt butter. Add onions and garlic and sweat until translucent. Add the chestnuts, salt, and East African spice; sauté 10 minutes or until spices are cooked off. Add cream and continue cooking until cream is reduced by half. Remove from heat and transfer mixture to a Vitamix blender. Blend on low speed, streaming in stock, in batches, until fully incorporated and smooth. Strain through a fine mesh strainer into a non-reactive container. Season with lemon juice and salt. Cover container in plastic wrap to avoid skin formation. Let cool and store in pint containers.

For the Jujube-Lima Bean Stew:
In a stock pot on medium flame, heat oil. Add onions and garlic and sweat until translucent. Add jujubes and Lima beans; satué 10 minutes. Add spice sachet, 4 quarts water, and salt. Continue cooking until beans are cooked through and jujubes are tender. Transfer to a non-reactive container, season with lemon juice and reserve.

For the Pickled Jujubes:
Using a 4-millimeter cookie cutter, punch out the jujube slices into circles. Store in ice water to keep from oxidizing. In a saucepan over medium high heat, combine vinegar, sugar, and 100 grams water. Bring to a boil and remove from heat. Once cool, transfer pickling liquid to a non-reactive container. Add chile and jujubes and let set overnight at room temperature.

For the Roasted Delicata Squash:
In a large mixing bowl, combine squash, oil, salt, and black pepper. Toss to coat. Transfer squash to a parchment-lined baking sheet and roast 10 minutes or until cooked through. Let cool, then cut each round in half to create a half-moon shape. Reserve.

For the Lamb Sauce:
In a large stock pot over medium heat, combine oil, ginger, shallots, chiles, and garlic. Sauté until golden brown. Deglaze with Madeira and reduce liquid until nearly dry. Add 22 quarts Lamb Jus. Simmer until sauce thickens; it should glaze the back of a spoon and have a nice body. Skim sauce as needed to remove fat and scum build up. Strain the lamb sauce into a non-reactive container. Season with salt and sherry vinegar. Reserve.

For the Lamb:
Heat the water bath of an immersion circulator to 145°F. Transfer lamb to a vacuum bag. Cook sous vide 10 hours. Let cool. Heat oven to 370°F. In a pan over high heat, heat oil. Remove lamb from plastic  wrap and sear until crust is golden brown. Glaze the roulade with generous amount of Lamb Jus, then roll in Lamb Crust until evenly coated. Place on a baking sheet and roast in oven 15 minutes, or until internal temperature reaches 140°F. Let rest.

To Assemble and Serve:
On a serving plate, spoon 2 tablespoons Roasted Chestnut Pureé in the center of the plate. Follow with 3 tablespoons Jujube-Lima Bean Stew. Slice Lamb into 3-inch thick slices. Brush with Lamb Jus and sprinkle with fleur se del. Arrange Lamb slices on top of Jujube-Lima Bean Stew. Place Roasted Delicata Squash and Pickled Jujubes around the Lambchetta. Garnish with purslane. Finish with 2 tablespoons Lamb Jus over top and serve.

Featured ingredient: Australian lamb belly and loin
Featured Equipment: Vitamix Commercial Blender

---