Rolled Lamb Neck with Almond and Rosemary, Braised Dirt(y) Kangaroo Island Red Nugget Lentils with Smoked Eggplant

Recipe source: Simon Bryant – http://www.simonbryant.com.au/

dirt(y) inc red nugget lentils were used in this recipe

Category:

Gourmet Gurus, Mains

Pulse/Diet:

Gluten-free, Lactose-free

Ingredients

For 4 Person(s)

lamb

1 bone-out spanish lamb neck, approx. 1.2 kg (or foreqaurter?shoulder bone-out, i.e. a
1 tsp salt flakes
lots of cracked black pepper
1/2 lemon, juiced
30 ml Australian extra virgin olive oil

paste

1 tsp sea salt
60 g Australian whole, skin-on almonds, toasted for 10 mins in 180°C oven
8 sprigs rosemary
3 cloves peeled, Australian garlic
1 1/2 bunch parsley, leaves and stems
1/2 cup pitted green olives
2 white anchovy
25 ml extra virgin olive oil

lentils

200 g dirt(y) red nugget lentils
1 L veggie stock
1 tbsp salt flakes
1 bay leaf
2 swiss brown mushroom, diced small
1 carrot, diced small
1 leek, diced small
1 stick celery, diced small
2 shallot, chopped small
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 small bulb fennel, diced small
100 g demi sel (lightly salted) butter
3 sprigs thyme
1/4 bunch parsley leaves, chopped

eggplant

2 medium eggplant
100 g yogurt
1/2 lemon juiced
1 tbsp sea salt
pinch smoked paprika
3 tbsp unhulled (dark) tahini
drizzle extra virgin olive oil

Directions

For the paste

Preheat a fan forced oven to 140°C.

Trim lamb neck and lay out flat, skin side down. Season with 1 teaspoon of salt.

Blend almonds, rosemary, garlic, parsley, olives, anchovy and olive oil in a food processor, to a chunky paste. Smear paste on lamb neck and roll up. Truss with butchers net/string. Season the outside and place in oven for 3 to 3 and ½ hours.

Remove and place in a preheated heavy based pan over a medium heat. Season with remaining sea salt and cracked pepper and sear all sides to render lamb skin and fat. Remove and rest 20 mins. Carve and drizzle with a splash of extra virgin olive oil and lemon juice.

For the lentils

Place lentils, bay leaf and salt in stock and bring up to gentle simmer. Cook over a medium flame according to packet instructions or until tender.

Meanwhile in a medium sized saucepan over a medium heat sauté the shallot, garlic, celery, leek, fennel, carrot and mushroom in the butter until soft. Remove from heat and add finely chopped thyme and parsley. Add to cooked lentils.