Method

“I like to cook simple roasts and love homemade curries which involve an authentic process of grinding spices and making pastes”, he says. “I am definitively up for things like slow cooked lamb knuckle and can’t wait to dig into the marrow as soon as it hits the table.”

Adds Mike, “This dish is pretty simple to make but it’s all in the execution. The lamb needs to be perfectly pink and the vegetables each cooked perfectly to deliver their own sense of occasion to the meal. I normally use one lamb rack for two people and serve lots of vegetables and potatoes.”

To make Mike’s lamb:
Preheat your oven to 200 degrees Celsius. Bring a pot of salted water to the boil with the baby potatoes in the water and then set aside for 10 minutes until slightly softened.

Place the potatoes into a roasting dish, add two tablespoons of the olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Place in the preheated oven for at least one hour until crispy and nicely browned.

Heat a frying pan with one tablespoon of the olive oil and brown the lamb on all sides until nicely browned – making sure that you brown the fatty side a little longer to release some of the fat.

Allow the lamb to cool and mix the breadcrumbs and the parsley with the mustard, parmesan, 1 tablespoon of the butter and season with salt and freshly cracked pepper. Brush the lamb rack with a little mustard and press the breadcrumb mixture onto the lamb to coat evenly. Place into the preheated oven and cook for 18 to 20 minutes for a nice pink to medium lamb.

While the lamb is in the oven place the baby carrots in a small pot with a half a cup of water and the sugar, cinnamon and one tablespoon of the butter and cook until the water has evaporated and the carrots are glazed and cooked to your liking.

Bring a pot of salted water to the boil and blanch the fennel, fine beans and asparagus for a minute or so and remove from the pot. Refresh under cold water until cool. Cook the beetroots in the same water until just softened (about 20 minutes) and remove from the heat. Allow to cool. Peel and set aside. For an added touch, add the remaining two tablespoons of butter to a saucepan and add a few tablespoons of water. Add the fine beans, the asparagus and the fennel and cook until the vegetables are nicely glazed and cooked al dente. Season with salt and pepper and set aside.

Warm the beetroot and slice the lamb. To serve, arrange the vegetables, potatoes and lamb neatly on a platter and serve with mint jelly. Enjoy!