Masala roasted lamb loin with kataifi pastry and lamb jus is elegant, rich and full of robust flavours. This divine dish is the creation of chefs Garth Stroebel and Paul Hartmann of South African Chefs Academy in Cape Town. Was there ever a more perfect dish for a fancy dinner party?
Masala roasted lamb loin with kataifi pastry and lamb jus
Ingredients
Brown chicken stock
- Makes 5 litres
- 2kg chicken bones, cut into 2cm pieces
- 100g mirepoix (chopped celery, onions, leeks and carrots)
- 2 bay leaves
- sprig of thyme
- 20ml (4 tsp) tomato paste
- 5 litres cold water
Lamb
- 100ml olive oil
- 50ml garam masala
- 4 x 140g lamb loins, trimmed
- kataifi pastry
- 2 large egg yolks
Lamb jus
- Makes 500ml
- 350g lamb bones, chopped into 2cm pieces
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 1 garlic clove, chopped
- 3 medium tomatoes, skinned, seeded and chopped
- 100ml light red wine
- 450ml lamb stock or brown chicken stock (see above)
- sprigs of fresh rosemary and thyme
Butternut bobotie cylinders
- 500g butternut, finely sliced
- a little oil for frying
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 50g mixture of turmeric and medium curry powder
- 50g raisins, finely chopped
- 10ml (2 tsp) dried apricots, finely chopped
- 5 tomatoes, peeled and finely chopped
- 1 bay leaf
- zest of 1 lemon
- salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Pea puree
- ½ onion, finely chopped
- 150g peas, blanched until tender
- 30ml (2 tbsp) butter
- salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Instructions
For the stock, preheat the oven to 200°C. Place the bones in a roasting pan and brown in the oven for about 15 minutes. When they are ¾ done, sprinkle the mirepoix over the bones and finish browning. Transfer the bones and mirepoix to a stockpot along with the bay leaves, thyme and tomato paste. Brown slightly. Remove the fat from the pan, deglaze the pan with a little water and add to the stockpot. Add the remaining cold water to cover the bones. Bring to the boil, reduce to a simmer and skim. Simmer for 4 – 6 hours. Pass through a fine strainer, then cool and refrigerate.
For the lamb, mix together the oil and garam masala. Coat the lamb with the mixture and marinate for 2 – 3 hours. Preheat the oven to 180°C.
Remove the loins and dab off excess marinade. Wrap the lamb in the kataifi pastry and brush with the egg yolks.
Heat a heavy-base pan on medium heat and seal the loins. Roast in the oven for about 10 minutes until medium, remove and set aside to rest.
For the jus, to a very hot stockpot add the bones and roast in their own fat for 10 – 15 minutes. Remove excess oil. Add the onion, garlic and tomatoes and cook until the onions are brown. Add the red wine and reduce by half. Add the stock and cook for 35 minutes, removing any oil on the surface. Pass through a chinois twice. Add the herbs and continue to cook on the stove. Reduce the sauce to the required thickness.
For the bobotie, lay the butternut on silicone mats and bake in the oven until cooked. Lay out the slices of butternut on a piece of plastic wrap to make a mat big enough to cover the filling. The extra butternut must be chopped finely to be mixed with the bobotie filling. In a heavy-base pan, heat the oil and sauté the onion and garlic. Add the curry mixture and sauté for a few minutes, then add the raisins, apricots, tomatoes and bay leaf. Cook on medium heat for 10 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and add the lemon zest. Adjust the seasoning and add the chopped butternut. Place the mixture on the butternut mat and roll up, wrap with plastic wrap and set aside. When ready to use heat in the microwave. Cut three small cylinders per plate.
For the purée, sauté the onion. Place the peas, onion and butter into a food processor, season and blend until smooth.
For the final presentation, serve the lamb with the jus and the butternut cylinders.
Notes
To drink: The mintiness of Bellevue Malbec will complement this rich dish.
