Lamb with Artichoke, Peas and Salsa Verde by Paris House

 

This dish is Spring on a plate! Crushed Peas & Salsa Verde are a fantastic seasonal accompaniment to spring lamb.

Don’t worry if you are struggling to get hold of all the ingredients. Create a simple garlic, honey, pepper & paprika marinade for the lamb and pep-up your frozen peas with a shallot and a little oregano or even mint!

Recipe Courtesy of chef Phil Fanning Paris House

Serves: 4

Difficulty: Medium

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Equipment

• 20cm stainless steel frying pan
• 24cm stainless steel saute pan
• 18cm stainless steel saucepan
• Pestle and mortar or blender
• Chopping board
• Small sharp knife

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The dish

1. Marinate the lamb (1-2 hours in advance).
2. Cook the artichokes.
3. Preheat the oven to 190ºC (fan).
4. Make the salsa verde.
5. Make the couscous salad.
6. Remove the artichokes from the cooking liquor and place on a baking tray with the cup facing up, fill the centres with the couscous mix.
7. Make the crushed peas.
8. Remove the lamb from the marinade and seal in a hot frying pan on all sides, transfer to a shallow roast tray and place in the oven for 8 -10 minutes, rotate the meat every 2 minutes to ensure even cooking. Remove from the oven and allow to rest for 10 minutes.
9. Place the stuffed artichokes in the oven to reheat for 5 minutes.
10. When ready to serve, carve the meat, and build the plates with a hot stuffed artichoke, the sliced meat, a spoon full of crushed peas and finish with the salsa verde dressing.

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Ingredients

Marinated Lamb:

• 4 trimmed lamb rumps
• 1 clove garlic (crushed)
• ½ tsp smoked paprika
• 1 pinch crushed black pepper corns
• 1 tsp Wild Calabrian Fennel Pollen
• 1 tbsp honey
• 4 tbsp olive oil
• 1 sprig of oregano (roughly chopped)

Crushed Peas:

• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 1 banana shallot (finely diced)
• 400g fresh garden peas (blanched)
• 1 tbsp chopped oregano
• ½ tsp Wild Calabrian Fennel Pollen
• salt to taste

Couscous mix:

• 200g Israeli couscous, larger variety
• 200g tomato juice
• 200g chicken stock
• 1 banana shallot, finely diced
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 2 tbsp sundried tomato paste
• 50 sundried tomatoes, finely chopped
• 1 tbsp chopped parsley
• 1 tbsp chopped oregano
• 2 tbsp baby capers 
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• Salt to taste

Salsa Verde:

• 3g fresh dill
• 3g fresh oregano
• 3g fresh mint
• 3g fresh parsley
• 20g baby capers
• 10g anchovies
• 1g garlic
• 10g dijon mustard
• 12g fresh lemon juice
• 60g olive oil

Artichokes:

• 1 medium onion, diced
• 4 cloves of garlic
• 65g olive oil
• 1 sprig thyme
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 sprig rosemary
• 10 black peppercorns
• 9g salt
• 200g white wine
• 30g white wine vinegar
• 2 lemons
• 4 medium globe artichokes
• 1 litre of water

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Cooking Method

For the lamb:

1. Mix all the marinade ingredients.
2. Coat the rumps with the marinade and place into a zip lock bag, remove as much air as possible and seal closed.
3. Leave to marinate for 1-2 hours in the fridge.

For the crushed peas:

1. Sweat the shallot in the olive oil till soft but not coloured.
2. Add the remaining ingredients and heat through.
3. Crush with a fork or coarsely blitz with a hand blender until it starts to come together.

For the couscous:

1. Bring the stock and tomato to the boil.
2. Add the couscous and cook for 6-8 minutes or until tender.
3. Sweat the shallots with the olive oil until tender but not coloured.
4. Add the sundried tomato paste and cook out for a couple of minutes.
5. Drain the couscous and add to the shallots and tomato.
6. Remove from the heat and add the remaining ingredients, mix well and season to taste.

For the salsa verde:

1. Blanch the herbs in boiling water for 2 minutes, then refresh in ice water.
2. Squeeze dry and very finely chop.
3. Pound the capers, anchovies, garlic and dijon mustard in a pestle and mortar till a smooth paste.
4. When ready the serve add the chopped herbs, lemon juice and olive oil and season to taste.

For the artichokes:

1. In a sauté pan heat the olive oil, add the garlic cloves and diced onion and sweat until slightly coloured.
2. Add the herbs, peppercorns and salt and cook for a further minute.
3. Add the white wine and reduce by half, then add the vinegar.
4. Add the juice of both the lemons and one juiced rind of one half to the pan.
5. Add the water and bring to the boil, then remove from the heat.
6. Prepare the artichokes by snapping off the stalk as close to the base as possible, then snap off all the hard, dark green leaves. Cut the top leaves off just above the choke.
7. The choke of the artichoke is just above the heart and it is a crown of pointy fibers (resembling hair).
8. With a small sharp knife pair away any hard or green parts and rub with half a lemon to prevent discolouring. Dig out all of the choke and place the prepared heart into the pan with the cooking liquor. Repeat with the remaining artichokes.
9. Cover the artichokes with a paper cartouche and bring to a simmer, cook for 15-20 minutes until the heart is tender. Test by poking the heart with the tip of a sharp knife, it should feel like cooked potato.
10. Allow to cool in the liquid.

To Serve:

1. Remove the artichokes from the cooking liquor and place on a baking tray with the cup facing up, fill the centres with the couscous mix.
2. Remove the lamb from the marinade and seal in a hot frying pan on all sides.
3. Place in the oven for 8 -10 minutes at 190ºC, rotate the meat every 2 minutes to ensure even cooking. Remove from the oven and allow to rest for 10 minutes.
4. Place the stuffed artichokes in the oven to reheat for 5 minutes.
5. When ready to serve, carve the meat, and build the plates with a hot stuffed artichoke, the sliced meat, a spoon full of crushed peas and finish with the salsa verde dressing.