Confit Curry Lamb Neck Terrine
Calico Peas, Sweet Pepper Purée, Black Garlic Purée, Pickled Peppers
Chef Amanda Turner of Olamaie | Austin, TX
“This dish was inspired by Jamaican goat and peas. It’s a dish that is delicious and fun, and I wanted to do an elevated version using lamb and black eyed peas. Lamb neck is an underutilized cut, but is so tender and delicious when cooked confit. The confit technique mimics the braising of the goat in the original dish. The black garlic purée with Sherry Vinegar from Spain is the key to this dish. It cuts through the fat of the lamb and brings the whole dish together. Sherry Vinegar and black garlic are a perfect pairing. The entire dish is a celebration of summer produce.” — Chef Amanda Turner
Adapted by StarChefs | August 2023
INGREDIENTS
Peas:
8 cups calico peas
150 grams confit lamb fat
550 grams diced onion
380 grams red bell pepper
300 grams diced celery
200 grams thinly sliced sweet peppers, charred, peeled, and diced
50 grams thinly sliced garlic
Sachet of 28 grams fresh thyme and 5 bay leaves
Sweet Pepper Purée:
Yield: 1½ quarts
Oil for frying
500 grams sweet peppers, tops removed
25 grams garlic
Salt
300 grams grapeseed oil
250 grams red bell pepper
40 grams Sherry Vinegar from Spain
2 grams xanthan gum
Black Garlic Purée:
100 grams peeled black garlic
30 grams Sherry Vinegar from Spain
50 grams grapeseed oil
Salt
Pickled Peas and Peppers:
1 pound calico peas
10 grams sliced garlic
250 grams thinly sliced Jimmy Nardello peppers
800 grams apple cider vinegar
1 cup sugar
10 grams salt
Curry Spice:
80 grams ground coriander
45 grams ground thyme
480 grams curry powder
60 grams five spice powder
120 grams ground allspice
180 grams ground cumin
20 grams ground anise
Lamb Neck Terrine:
2 kilograms lamb necks
20 grams curing salt
Kosher salt
5 sheets gelatin, bloomed
To Assemble and Serve:
Lamb quarters
METHOD
For the Peas:
In a large pressure cooker, add peas and enough salted water to fully submerge. Cook 30 minutes on high pressure. Strain, reserving peas and cooking liquid separately. In a rondeau over medium heat, melt fat. Add onion, bell peppers, celery, sweet peppers, and garlic. Sweat until alliums are soft and translucent, then season with salt. Add sachet, cooked peas, and reserved pea cooking liquid to the pan. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and let simmer until liquid is reduced by fifteen percent. Cool over an ice bath and transfer to quart containers. Refrigerate.
For the Sweet Pepper Purée:
In a sauté pan, heat oil to 375°F. Add sweet peppers and fry 1 minute, or until peppers are blistered, but not browned. Transfer fried peppers to a blender with garlic. Season with salt. Purée mixture on high speed, slowly streaming in grapeseed oil, until fully emulsified. Add bell peppers and continue to blend until smooth. Season with vinegar and salt, then stir in xanthan gum. Transfer to a squeeze bottle and refrigerate.
For the Black Garlic Purée:
In a blender, purée garlic and vinegar. Slowly stream in oil until mixture is fully emulsified. Season with salt, then transfer to a squeeze bottle and refrigerate.
For the Pickled Peas and Peppers:
In a stockpot over medium heat, add peas and enough water to submerge. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and let simmer 1 hour. Strain peas and transfer to a nonreactive container. Stir in garlic and peppers, then set aside. In a saucepan over medium-high heat, bring vinegar, sugar, salt, and 400 grams water to a boil, constantly stirring to ensure sugar has dissolved. Once boiling, remove from heat and pour over pea mixture. Cover and refrigerate.
For the Curry Spice:
In a blender, pulse all the ingredients until a fine, uniform powder is achieved. Transfer to a small bowl and set aside.
For the Lamb Neck Terrine:
Heat oven to 450°F. Liberally season lamb necks with curing salt. Place seasoned lamb in a tall hotel pan and cover with confit fat. Cover the pan with plastic wrap then a layer of aluminum foil. Cook 1 hour. Reduce heat to 400°F and cook additional 2 hours, or until meat is tender. Remove from the oven and carefully remove lamb necks from oil. Let cool, then pick meat from bones. Discard bones and tendons. Season generously with Curry Spice and kosher salt. Transfer meat to a double boiler and warm through. Add bloomed gelatin and mix until well combined. Transfer lamb to a plastic wrap-lined quarter pan. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate. Once cooled, portion lamb into 10 equal rectangles, approximately 1.25” by 3.75” each. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate.
To Assemble and Serve:
In a small sautépan, warm Peas. Prepare and heat a griddle. Season 1 Lamb Neck Terrine with additional Curry Spice. Sear Lamb Neck Terrine until browned, crispy, and warmed through. Let cool. Spoon Sweet Pepper Purée in a circle on a large serving plate. Dot the plate with Black Garlic Purée. Place the seared Lamb Neck Terrine onto the center of the top, then top with Peas and Pickled Peas and Peppers. Garnish with lamb quarters.
