RecipeTin Eats’ lamb cutlets with fondant potato, jus and salsa verde

Name: RecipeTin Eats’ lamb cutlets with fondant potato, jus and salsa verde
Cook time: 1 h
Yield: 2
Cuisine: Modern Australian
Ingredients: 1 large oval potato (about 400g); ¼ tsp cooking salt; ⅛ tsp pepper; 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil; 15g unsalted butter; 4 thyme sprigs; 1 cup low-sodium beef stock

RecipeTin Eats

March 25, 2024

Meat and potatoes, but make it restaurant-style.Nagi Maehashi

Time:30 mins - 1 hourServes:2

Fondant potato? Jus? Sounds so hatted-restaurant fancy! The truth? It’s easier and cheaper than you think.

Ingredients

Fondant potato

1 large oval potato (about 400g)
¼ tsp cooking salt
⅛ tsp pepper
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
15g unsalted butter
4 thyme sprigs
1 cup low-sodium beef stock

Lamb cutlets

6-bone lamb rack (about 500g)
½ tsp salt
¼ tsp black pepper
2 tbsp olive oil
pinch of salt flakes, optional

Salsa verde

20g (½ cup) basil leaves
5g (¼ cup) mint leaves
10g (⅓ cup) parsley leaves
10g gherkins
1 tsp capers
½ tsp Dijon mustard
1 tsp red wine vinegar
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
⅛ tsp salt
1 ice cube

Method

Step 1
To make the salsa verde, place all ingredients (including the ice cube) in a container that fits the head of a stick blender. Blitz into a puree – about 10 seconds on high. Set aside.
Step 2
To prepare fondant potato, preheat oven to 180C fan-forced (200C conventional). Peel and cut potato into a cylinder 5.5cm wide and 7cm long. Do this by trimming both ends so it stands upright then trim all around. Cut in half crosswise to make 2 cylinders. Rinse with cold water and pat dry.
Step 3
In a small ovenproof frypan, heat the oil over medium heat. Add potato, flat end down, reduce heat to low and cook until golden, about 6 to 8 minutes, the turn over to brown the other end.
Step 4
Add butter and thyme. When the butter has melted, spoon it over the potato three times. Add stock, salt and pepper, bring to a boil then place on the top shelf of the oven and bake for 30 minutes, basting halfway through. (The lamb will be added on the shelf below after 15 minutes).
Step 5
When the potato has gone into the oven, season lamb with salt and pepper and wrap foil around the exposed bones. Heat oil in an ovenproof frypan over medium-high heat. Sear the lamb until nicely browned all over, about 6 minutes in total.
Step 6
Once the potato has been in the oven for 15 minutes, place lamb on the shelf below. Roast for 15 minutes, or until the internal temperature reaches 57C (for medium-rare), turning halfway through cooking time. (If the lamb is browned before the 15 minutes are up, remove lamb from pan to stop it cooking further.)
Step 7
When the potato is cooked (about 30 minutes), baste one more time then remove from the oven. Carefully lift out of frypan and set aside on a rack set over a tray. Discard the thyme but keep the liquid in the frypan for the jus. Remove lamb from the oven and place on the rack with the potato.
Step 8
To make the jus, transfer the now-empty lamb pan to the stove and add the liquid left in the potato pan. Simmer over medium heat for 1-2 minutes, or until it reduces to about 3 tablespoons, scraping the base of the pan. Strain the jus into a small jug.
Step 9
To serve, dollop 2 teaspoons of salsa verde onto the middle of each plate, then use the side of the spoon to smear it towards the edge of the plate. Place potato fondant onto the plate and three lamb cutlets beside it. Sprinkle the lamb with a pinch of salt flakes and carefully pour or spoon 1½ tablespoons of jus on each plate.

Tip: Store-bought stock lacks the collagen you need to thicken jus to a syrupy consistency. But using the starch that remains in the stock from cooking the potato means it thickens perfectly.