TASTE THE NATION RECIPES

Preparation

For the sauce

1. Heat a wide shallow sided pan on the stove. Add 1 tbsp rapeseed oil. Get good ‘n’ hot.

2. Add small chopped bones and meaty trimmings. Fry, stirring from time to time. Get a good colour all over (8 minutes + ).

3. Pour off excess fat from the pan by emptying all into a bowl lined with a sieve.

4. Put the bones and trimmings back in the pan on the heat. Add the shallots, mushrooms and crushed peppercorns. Stir in and fry (2 minutes). Do not over caramelise the bones, shallots or mushrooms or the sauce will be bitter.

5. Throw in 2 – 3 sprigs of the thyme, add the Madeira and flame off the alcohol. Then add the red wine.

6. Put in the chopped tomato flesh. Bring to a fast boil. Reduce this mixture until syrupy, or at least by 2/3rds.

7. When reduced (should be glossy and dark) add the boiling stocks and bring back to the boil.

8. Skim froth ‘n’ foam off the boiling sauce.

9. Pass/pour all through a fine, fine, fine sieve into a small pan.

10. Put on a low heat and simmer. Skim again any fat or impurities off –  the sauce should be smooth and dark.

11. Taste and adjust the seasoning. Keep ticking over, but don’t allow to over reduce or allow skin to form.

12. Pick leaves from the thyme stalks and set aside. Mix into the sauce 3 minutes before serving to soften and infuse.

For the meat

1. Heat a roasting tray on the stove top and add 1 tbsp rapeseed oil.

2. In this tray, seal the racks – sides, ends and all.

3. Lay on the bones, leaving the eye of the meat uppermost. Season with salt and pepper. Tuck a sprig or two of the thyme underneath.

4. Put in the oven for 6-7 minutes. It will be smoky and hot but carry on. After 6-7 minutes remove and wrap loosely with foil and set aside to keep warm for at least 8 minutes (to rest).

5. When it is needed, cut through with a sharp knife. Serve with the sauce and all the veg.

For the bacon and celeriac towers

1. Peel the celeriac, and slice thinly (match stick thick) on a mandolin. Do ten slices only.

2. Cut circles from the 10 slices 2 inches diameter, then cook these straight away in 4 tbsp of the milk and 4 tbsp water and a pinch of salt. Poach gently until done. Reserve in the cooking liqueur to keep warm.

3. Chop the rest of the celeriac into roughly ¼ - ½ inch dice. Put it in a pan with milk and 100ml cold water, a good pinch of salt and a bay leaf.

4. Bring to the boil and simmer until very tender.

5. Strain through a sieve then put back in the pan. Dry out over a low heat, stirring to evaporate the moisture and not catch on the base of the pan (5 – 10 minutes depending on how wet).

6. Put into a blender with butter and double dream. Blitz until smooth – it may take a bit of scraping up and down to do this.

7. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper and lemon juice – if too dry, add a little more cream (watch the salt because of the bacon going in later).

8. Put the bacon on non-stick baking sheet and flash through the oven (190°C) until they are cooked through and crisp.

9. Remove from the oven and place between a few sheets of kitchen roll and press out the grease.

10. Remove the rind and bin it. Chop the bacon into small bits.

11. Mix these through the celeriac puree, which has been decanted into a small saucepan.

12. Keep it hot and check the seasoning again.

13. Take 3 tbsp of the lemon thyme sauce. Put in a very small pan and reduce until sticky but not burnt, by about 2/3rds.

14. Add the honey and oil and heat through – it should be sticky, dark, shiny and sweet.

15. Take the celeriac discs from the cooking liquor, drain and wipe well.

16. Using the rings that you cut the discs out with, place a disc in the base of the two rings. Spoon a slightly heaped teaspoon of the celeriac and bacon cream on the disc then place another disc on top of the celeriac cream. Don’t push down too firmly. Repeat with the cream mix. Now top with the best of your discs. There should be 3 discs in the tower and two dollops of celeriac cream.

17. Carefully spoon the sticky glaze on top of the top disc. Try not to let it run down the side. Top with the lemon zest crispy stuff.

For the Lemon Zest Crispy stuff

1. Put a pan of water on to boil (medium saucepan and 2 pints of water)

2. Using a thin bladed sharp knife, trim off the bitter white pith from strips of zest (yellow face to the board, then kind of skin, or fillet like a fish, the pith off).

3. Shard the yellow zest mega thin into strips (much thinner than a matchstick).

4. Put these into the water, boil for two minutes then drain through a sieve.

5. Place on a tea towel, fold it over and press to get rid of the moisture.

6. Put into a round, add the thyme leaves, salt, sugar and oil. Mix well with your hands (the zest should still be hot).

7. Scatter onto a non stick baking sheet. Separate well.

8. Place the tray in a low oven at about 50°C, for as long as possible to dry and crispen up. Keep an eye on them and make sure the zest does not burn and discolour. You may have to lower the temperature.

9. Put on kitchen roll just before using (10 minutes) so the oil can drain and zest can stay crispy.

For the cakes

1. Cut the potatoes into 1 inch cubes and put in to a saucepan. Cover with cold water, and add a good pinch of salt. Boil for 15 minutes until the potatoes are tender.

2. Drain well and spread out on a non stick tray. Put in a low oven set at 90°C to dry out (5 minutes)

3. At the same time as the potatoes, put the sprouts into a pan of boiling salted water. Cook until tender (about 8 minutes). Drain through a colander. Put on a paper towel to dry (do not refresh in cold water).

4. Put the spuds through a ricer (or mash well) and place in a mixing bowl. Grate the sprouts into the spuds. Season with salt and pepper and nutmeg to taste. Mix well and shape into a log. Shape into discs approximately ½ inch deep and 1 ½ inches in diameter. Make this easier by lightly dusting a board with flour and shape using a palette knife. You will need 3 per plate.

5. Set aside.6. Beat eggs in a bowl.

7. Season flour with salt and pepper, mixing in well.

8. De-crust the bread and blitz into crumbs (quite fine).

9. Now pass the cakes through the flour, and shake of the excess (very important). Then through the beaten egg, and again shake of the excess. Then through the crumbs. Re-shape on a board using a palate knife.

10. Heat oil in a pan (large, shallow, non stick).

11. Carefully lower in the cakes and cook on each side for 3 – 4 minutes (each side).

12. They should be golden and not burnt (do a test cake on its own to make sure the oil is the right temperature).

13. Remove from the pan, sit on some kitchen roll, sprinkle with a little salt and keep warm.

For the garlic puree (Do this at the sprout and potato stage)

1. Put the garlic in the pan with the milk and bay leaf. Bring to the boil.

2. Reduce the heat so it’s not going nuts. Cook for 12 minutes until it’s soft.

3. Drain and put the garlic on a towel to really dry out.

4. Put in a small blender and zizz until smooth (you may have to scrape down a couple of times).

5. Add the cream, zizz again, then season with salt and pepper and sugar if needed.

6. Keep hot if done with plenty of time to go – transfer into a small pan and cover with cling film. Keep hot but don’t burn.

7. Serve the cakes with the puree.

To serve

Place a celeriac tower in the centre of the plate. 3 bubble cakes resting on each other. The racks of lamb encasing the veg, bones protruding, giving the impression of ‘long horns’.