This would be a classic if each components were not prepared with so much originality. The aubergines are delightfully surprising. The teeth encounter an intensely sweet and salty glaze before biting into their melting flesh. The sweet candied olives beautifully enhance the round flavour of the meat, and the spinach and balsamic sauce finish off the dish with a perfect uplifting touch. Un vrai chef d’oeuvre.
Roasted lamb with miso and garlic glazed aubergines, spinach and candied olives
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Recipe by: Brett Graham, The Ledbury, London Busy:40 min, Total prep time: 60 min plus overnight marinating time Serves: 6 |
The day before, marinate the lamb in a tight container with 6 tablespoons olive oil, 3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar, the rosemary and 3/4 of the garlic head, with each clove peeled and crushed. If the meat is not fully immersed, turn it over from time to time.
Prepare the candied olives.
On the day:
Preheat oven to 180 degrees C
Peel and slice the aubergines in half lengthways. Sprinkle the cut sides with salt and let stand for 15 minutes. The salting will enable the aubergines to exude less water and absorb less fat when cooking.
With a clean kitchen towel wipe the salt off the aubergines and place in an oven safe dish with 6 tablespoons of olive oil. Make sure all aubergine halves are well coated with the oil. Bake for about 25 minutes, until tender and lightly browned. Turn the aubergines around regularly to make sure all sides are exposed to the oil while cooking.
Mix the miso paste with the sugar, alcohol and 3 cloves of finely chopped or pressed garlic. Microwave for 30 seconds or until the mix bubbles. Monitor this carefully as the mixture burns very quickly. Cover the cooked aubergines with 1 to 2 mm of the glazing.
Dry the lamb off its marinade and sauté in a frying pan for 3 minutes on each side on medium-high heat. If possible, use a pan you can also place in an oven. Set the marinade aside.
Place the lamb flat in its hot original pan into the oven and cook for 25 minutes to get a medium rare finish, a bit longer if you want it well done. If using the loin, lower the oven to 160 degree and cook for 6-8 minutes.
10 min before serving:
Take the meat out of the oven and out of the pan and let rest for 5 minutes.
In the meantime, pour the marinade into the hot pan and cooking juices, add the chicken stock, one tablespoon balsamic vinegar and reduce on medium-high heat for 5 minutes.
Place the glazed aubergines cut side up 5-10 minutes under the grill until nicely coloured.
Dip the spinach into boiling water for 2 minutes. Drain and press the water out.
Carve the meat and serve on each plate on top of warm spinach and next to a half aubergine. Pour the hot sauce over the lamb and sprinkle with candied olives.
Ahead:
The day before, marinate the lamb in a tight container with 6 tablespoons olive oil, 3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar, the rosemary and 3/4 of the garlic head, with each clove peeled and crushed. If the meat is not fully immersed, turn it over from time to time.
Prepare the candied olives.
On the day:
Preheat oven to 180 degrees C
Peel and slice the aubergines in half lengthways. Sprinkle the cut sides with salt and let stand for 15 minutes. The salting will enable the aubergines to exude less water and absorb less fat when cooking.
With a clean kitchen towel wipe the salt off the aubergines and place in an oven safe dish with 6 tablespoons of olive oil. Make sure all aubergine halves are well coated with the oil. Bake for about 25 minutes, until tender and lightly browned. Turn the aubergines around regularly to make sure all sides are exposed to the oil while cooking.
Mix the miso paste with the sugar, alcohol and 3 cloves of finely chopped or pressed garlic. Microwave for 30 seconds or until the mix bubbles. Monitor this carefully as the mixture burns very quickly. Cover the cooked aubergines with 1 to 2 mm of the glazing.
Dry the lamb off its marinade and sauté in a frying pan for 3 minutes on each side on medium-high heat. If possible, use a pan you can also place in an oven. Set the marinade aside.
Place the lamb flat in its hot original pan into the oven and cook for 25 minutes to get a medium rare finish, a bit longer if you want it well done. If using the loin, lower the oven to 160 degree and cook for 6-8 minutes.
10 min before serving:
Take the meat out of the oven and out of the pan and let rest for 5 minutes.
In the meantime, pour the marinade into the hot pan and cooking juices, add the chicken stock, one tablespoon balsamic vinegar and reduce on medium-high heat for 5 minutes.
Place the glazed aubergines cut side up 5-10 minutes under the grill until nicely coloured.
Dip the spinach into boiling water for 2 minutes. Drain and press the water out.
Carve the meat and serve on each plate on top of warm spinach and next to a half aubergine. Pour the hot sauce over the lamb and sprinkle with candied olives.
Brett’s original recipe uses lamb tenderloins. Loins are extremely tender and have a beautiful, velvety texture but they are also the most expensive part of the lamb. Because they are so pricy I substituted them for half a leg, which was about half the price. If buying the leg in a supermarket, go to the butcher stall and ask them to debone and butterfly it (i.e. cut it into an open book shape), and trim as much fat as possible. The sirloin (upper) end of the leg is more tender than the shank, so make sure you get the right end. If you feel like splurging though, definitely use the loins,. Their tenderness is unequalled. Miso paste is available in most large supermarkets in the word cuisine section. If you cannot find it, use miso soup powder instead. I tried it and it worked well.
Last, if doing this dish for guests, prepare the olives and aubergines ahead (minus the last step) so all is left to do is to cook the meat, boil the spinach and grill the glazed aubergines.
Last, if doing this dish for guests, prepare the olives and aubergines ahead (minus the last step) so all is left to do is to cook the meat, boil the spinach and grill the glazed aubergines.
Ingredients
1 kg half leg of lamb, sirloin end, deboned, butterflied and with fat trimmed off, or 3 large loins of lamb
-12 tablespoons olive oil
-4 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
-1 garlic head
-2 sprigs of rosemary
-3 small aubergines (about 15 cm long)
-30 gr white miso paste
-30 ml Sake or Dry Gin
-30 g sugar
-100 ml chicken stock
-250 g baby leaf spinach
-a handful of candied olives
1 kg half leg of lamb, sirloin end, deboned, butterflied and with fat trimmed off, or 3 large loins of lamb
-12 tablespoons olive oil
-4 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
-1 garlic head
-2 sprigs of rosemary
-3 small aubergines (about 15 cm long)
-30 gr white miso paste
-30 ml Sake or Dry Gin
-30 g sugar
-100 ml chicken stock
-250 g baby leaf spinach
-a handful of candied olives
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