Equipment
* optional
Ingredients
Rolled Lamb Breast
- 1000 g rolled lamb breast, tied with butcher's twine
- 15 ml olive oil
- 10 g kosher salt
- 5 g black pepper, freshly ground
Dauphinoise Potatoes
- 800 g yukon gold potatoes, peeled
- 300 ml double cream
- 300 ml whole milk
- 3 garlic, crushed
- 5 fresh thyme, whole sprigs
- 100 g gruyere cheese, freshly grated
- ground nutmeg
Red Wine Sauce
- 2 shallots, finely diced
- 10 ml olive oil
- 250 ml dry red wine
- 500 ml beef stock, low sodium
- 30 g unsalted butter, cold and cubed
Spring Greens
- 300 g spring greens, washed and shredded
- 20 g unsalted butter
- kosher salt
Nutrition (per serving)
Method
Preheat the oven to 160C (320F). Prepare your workspace and ensure you have all ingredients measured.
Rub the rolled lamb breast with olive oil, then season generously with salt and black pepper on all sides. Wash your hands and surfaces thoroughly after handling the raw meat to prevent cross-contamination.
Place the lamb breast in a roasting pan and slow roast uncovered until the fat has rendered deeply and the internal temperature registers at least 90C (195F).
While the lamb begins roasting, carefully slice the peeled potatoes into even 2mm rounds using a mandoline slicer. Do not rinse the sliced potatoes, as their starch will help thicken the cream.
In a saucepan, bring the double cream, whole milk, crushed garlic cloves, fresh thyme sprigs, and nutmeg to a gentle simmer. Remove from heat immediately once simmering, season with salt, and let infuse.
Layer the sliced potatoes slightly overlapping in a buttered gratin dish. Pour the warm infused cream mixture through a fine mesh strainer directly over the potatoes, discarding the solids. Press down gently to ensure potatoes are submerged, then scatter the grated gruyere evenly over the top.
Place the gratin dish in the oven alongside the roasting lamb for the final 90 minutes of the lamb's cooking time.
To begin the sauce, heat a little olive oil in a frying pan over medium heat and saute the finely diced shallots until translucent and softened.
Pour the red wine into the pan with the shallots, scraping the bottom with a wooden spoon to release any fond. Allow this to rapidly boil until the wine is reduced by half.
Add the beef stock to the reduced wine mixture. Continue to boil until the liquid reduces down to a rich sauce consistency that can lightly coat the back of a spoon.
Remove the reduced sauce from the heat. Briskly whisk in the cold, cubed butter piece by piece until fully emulsified into a glossy sauce. Strain through a fine mesh sieve if a smooth texture is desired, and keep warm.
Remove the lamb breast from the oven once cooked. Transfer it to a cutting board, tent loosely with aluminum foil, and let it rest.
Bring a pot of heavily salted water to a rapid boil. Drop in the shredded spring greens and cook briefly until bright green. Drain thoroughly, return to the empty warm pot, and toss with the butter until coated.
Remove the twine from the resting lamb breast and carve it into thick slices. Serve alongside generous scoops of the potato gratin, a portion of the buttered greens, and pour the warm red wine sauce over the meat.
Chef's Notes
- Lamb breast is one of the most flavourful and economical cuts, but it carries a lot of fat. The slow roasting process is non-negotiable, as it renders out the excess fat while turning the tough collagen into gelatin.
- Do not rinse your sliced potatoes. The surface starch on the potatoes acts as a natural thickener for the milk and cream mixture, giving the dauphinoise its signature creamy, cohesive texture.
- Mounting the sauce with cold butter off the heat, a technique known as monter au beurre, is the key to a restaurant-quality glossy finish. If the pan is too hot, the butter will melt into an oily layer rather than emulsifying.
- If you prefer an even crispier skin on the lamb breast, you can flash it under the broiler for 3 to 5 minutes after resting, just before carving.
Storage
Refrigerator: 3 days — Store lamb, greens, and sauce in separate airtight containers.
Freezer: 1 month — Lamb and sauce freeze well. Do not freeze the dauphinoise potatoes as the cream sauce will split upon thawing.
Reheating: Reheat lamb gently in a 160C oven covered with foil. Reheat potatoes in the oven until bubbling. Warm sauce in a saucepan over low heat, do not boil or the butter emulsion will break.
