Lamb-chetta

Last weekend I was casting around for what to do with some lamb breast and neck I had defrosted and the weather seemed to good for hearty stews. I asked the hive mind that is twitter and carried on flipping though cook books for inspiration. At roughly the same time as I was eyeing up a porchetta recipes Chris from La Hogue Farm shop suggested a herby stuffing and wrapping the breast round the neck.

And so I set out to make lamb-chetta.

I didn’t want too dense a stuffing so I decided to simply use lots of fresh herbs.

Rosemary, fresh bay leaves and lemon thyme from the garden

I laid out the meat and added some ground black pepper and the herbs

Lamb breast with herbs ready to roll with neck fillet

I rolled it up and tied with string

Rolled and tied lamb with extra herbs tucked under string

I’m not expecting any awards for my butchers joint tie-ing skills…

It went into the oven for 4 hours on gas mark 3 (150-160C). I’d loosely covered the tray with foil and part way through cooking I added a few splashes of white wine as well.

 

Fours hours in low oven temp....

We carved it into quite thick slices and I’d say there was enough for four people

lamb-chetta slices

We had it simply with some potatoes and cauliflower

It was totally delicious soft super sweet meat from the slow cooking and layers of fat the two cuts contain, the herbs gave is a fresh edge.

We had some left which last night we used in a barley and lamb risotto, again delicious. i also tried a few bits cold and think it would make a great sandwich or simple salad with a slice on top of some lentils.

And as these two cuts are very cheap it was nice and frugal too.

Chocolate Week: Day 7 and beyond

So on day 7 of chocolate week (having rather bungled days 4,5 and 6) I tootled off to Vinopolis to take a look around the Chocolate Unwrapped show.

Despite arriving fairly early (only half an hour after opening) it was getting quite busy with chocolate fans and some stands were already rather mobbed.

I stuck to going to see regular favourites plus a few names I’d not heard of before. I was mostly checking out the different packaging as ongoing inspiration for a couple of client projects (totally unrelated to chocolate) and I was also interested in single bean/origin bars and some of the flavoured bars rather than filled chocolates.

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But I did spot these at the Paul A Young stand and as they were pushing the bounds of chocolate flavours bought some for me and my husband to taste. I made him taste blind and guess the flavours…..he easily got the Worcestershire sauce flavour but struggled with the identifying malt loaf one.

And did we like them?

Well the Worcestershire sauce scored highly with both of us the sharpness of the condiment cutting through the dark chocolate in a good way….the malt loaf I liked for its gentle fruity subtlety but the verdict was less favourable from the other side of the table *okay but not stunning*

I think it depends whether you are looking for something quite full on or something more mellow…both delivered a clever twist of flavours that were surprising but effective.

Note: malt loaf on left (round) Worcestershire sauce on right (with orange dot)

Chocolate Week: Days 4, 5 and 6

It was going so well…each day a different chocolate with my coffee, plenty of choices in the stash then

BAM (imaginary comic book graphics round this word if you will)

its all went a bit wrong….

I woke up on day 6 and realised I FORGOTTEN to have any chocolate on days 4 and 5, totally forgotten.

I had none, zilch, nada.

So I set to rectifying the situation by trying out this

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The orange gives it a marmalade-y sweet yet sharp edge while the fig adds earthiness and richness.

Was good and felt rather festive.

You’ll be please to know that back on track on day seven I do much better indeed…..

 

Chocolate Week: Day 3

Day 3 an chocolate supplies were running perilously low…so I placed and Ocado order

Not just for chocolate you understand there were lots of other store cupboard staples I needed too….imagine though a whole van full of chocolate turning up would be pretty fab

Anyway today I went for Green & Blacks Cherry chocolate

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I just love those sour cherries in it nice and tart and tangy.

Chocolate Week: Day 2

Turns out as well as chocolate week and curry week its also egg week…..good job I had egg curry last night then.

So Day 2 of chocolate week I was mostly munching on my regular bar

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Divine 70%…its great it smooth and dark enough and sensibly priced and widely available and good ethics.

Not really much more you can ask for in a regular chocolate purchase in my view. Well possibly someone to send you a large delivery as a gift but apart from that….