Lamb Wellington
During my time on Britains Best Home Cook I tried to incorporate as much Welsh food as I could, I used lots of Welsh produce but I was also aware that I never cooked with Welsh lamb of made Welsh cakes, so in the final, I would have been making both.
My passion for making traditional Welsh food will not diminish but I also like to experiment and like to create recipes which bring Welsh cooking into the 21st century, perfecting the traditional recipe and then transferring it into a recipe for modern Welsh families.
Serves 4
Ingredients
500g piece cannon of lamb
200g chestnut mushrooms
20g dried mushrooms soaked in boiling water
Fresh thyme
2 tbsps dried laverbread (optional)
6 slices of prosciutto
500g puff pastry
1 egg yolk, beaten
For the Pancakes
100g flour
1 egg
250ml milk
Fresh Rosemary
Fresh Thyme
Fresh Parsley
For the Sauce
A knob of butter
1 shallot
Fresh thyme
100ml red wine
100ml port
400ml chicken stock
Method
1. Season the lamb. Seal the meat in a hot pan with a splash of oil, about 2 mins on each side.
2. Roughly chop the fresh mushrooms, or blitz them in a food processor. Roughly chop the soaked dry mushrooms and squeeze out as much of the excess liquid as possible.
3. Season the mushrooms. Fry the mushrooms over medium-high heat for 5-7 mins, most of the liquid should be evaporated away. Taste and season more if needed, stir through the laverbread if using and leave to cool.
Make the pancakes
4. Add the flour to a bowl and season, mix the egg and mix and slowly add to the flour whisking the whole time. Add the herbs and mix them through. Add a drop of oil to a large non-stick pan, add enough batter to make a thin pancake and swirl. you will need to make 3-4.
5. Layout cling film, create a layer of prosciutto, add the lamb, then top with the mushroom mix. Use the cling film to roll into a neat parcel shape (see video below). Chill for 15-20 mins.
6. Layout another piece of cling film, trim the pancakes into square shapes, and lay on the cling film. Add the lamb parcel, use the cling film to roll again, (see video below). Chill for 15-20 mins.
7. Roll out the puff pastry, then lay onto another piece of cling film. Add the lamb parcel and roll, very tightly, cutting away any excess. (see video below). Chill for 60 mins, but this can be made up to a day in advance
8. When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 200 C fan. Brush the pastry all over with the egg yolk, add a design (optional) and sprinkle the top with sea salt.
9. Cook for approx 20 mins, use a meat thermometer to make sure its cooked, I like my pink. For well-done leave for another 10-15 mins.
10. Leave to rest for 20 mins before carving.
Make the Sauce
1. Melt the butter in a saucepan, add the shallot and gently cook until soft, add the wine and port and bring to the boil. Boil until reduced, add the chicken stock and continue to boil until thick and shiny, season with black pepper, taste before adding salt as it usually doesn't need salt.
I served mine, with silky mashed potatoes, fresh green veggies, and baby carrots, parboiled and finished in a pan with butter and thyme.
Lots of people put extra flour on their pastry to absorb the cooking liquid from the lamb, I think the pancakes, do a better job and are far tastier.
