LAMB WITH A TWIST
Theo says: ‘This is an underused and relatively cheap cut. Ask your butcher to prepare for you, or swap for lamb chops if you prefer.
‘I have teamed it with a Seville orange marmalade sauce, which is both sweet and sharp to perfectly complement the richness of the lamb.’
A 700-g/1½lb lamb rib (also known as belly lamb), bone-in, cut into riblets
2 tablespoons sherry vinegar 1 teaspoon cumin seeds 2 tablespoons olive oil 4 tablespoons Seville orange marmalade/preserve
2 tablespoons cider vinegar 2 tablespoons caster/ granulated sugar
1 garlic clove, crushed
1 fresh red chili/chili pepper, deseeded and finely chopped (optional) salt and freshly ground black pepper, to season
TO GARNISH
Sea salt flakes
A few sprigs of thyme Finely grated orange zest
Put the riblets in a single layer in a non-reactive dish and pour over the sherry vinegar.
Add the cumin seeds and season generously with salt and pepper, massaging everything together with your hands.
Cover and marinate overnight in the fridge or just go straight for cooking if you can’t wait!
Preheat the oven to 160°C fan/180°C/350°F/Gas 4.
Arrange the marinated riblets on a baking sheet with plenty of space between them.
Drizzle over the olive oil and bake, uncovered, in the preheated oven for 1½ hours, until they are crisp around the edges.
To make the sauce, combine the marmalade, cider vinegar, sugar, garlic and chili/chili pepper (if using) in a small saucepan and set over a medium heat.
Bring to the boil and as soon as the mixture bubbles, reduce the heat to a simmer, cook for two further minutes, then remove from the heat.
Spoon half the sauce onto a serving dish or board, pile the ribs on top and drizzle over the remaining sauce.
Add a sprinkling of sea salt flakes, scatter over the thyme sprigs and orange zest to garnish and serve with plenty of napkins for wiping sticky fingers and chins!
Recipes from Rustica by Theo Michaels, published by Ryland Peters & Small (£16.99) and Cypriana by Theo Michaels, to be published in May by Ryland Peters & Small (£22)
Theo says: ‘When it comes to budget and flavour, this is the most delicious cheat’s meat dish you could hope for; a perfect Sunday dish for lots of people using a cheaper cut of meat that goes far. Expect to put this together in 20 minutes, then pop in the oven and enjoy your day.’
2kg lamb shoulder (whole); olive oil for drizzling; half dozen sprigs thyme; half dozen sprigs of rosemary; 2 onions, thickly sliced; 2 large ripe tomatoes, thickly sliced; 1 tablespoon smoked paprika; 1 tablespoon Greek oregano, dried; 1 lemon; 1 bulb garlic, broken into cloves; 100ml white wine; 50ml water; seasoning; six Cyprus potatoes cut into quarters lengthways.
Pre-heat oven to 160C (325F) Gas 3. Drizzle a little olive oil onto a roasting tray, scatter the onions, garlic, half the rosemary, thyme and sliced tomatoes, plus a pinch of seasoning and half the oregano. Place the lamb shoulder onto the onions and add the potatoes around the edges.
Drizzle a little olive oil over the whole tray plus the juice of half a lemon. Season the meat and potatoes with smoked paprika, the remaining oregano, thyme and rosemary, a generous pinch of salt and pepper and finally place the remaining tomato slices over the meat.
Add the wine and water directly into the tray (not over the lamb) and cover with a piece of parchment paper tucking the edges inside the roasting tray and then covering the whole tray with kitchen foil, ensuring it is tightly sealed around the edges (you may need to use a couple of sheets).
Place in the pre-heated oven for four hours. Once done, remove from the oven and rest for 15 minutes while still sealed. While resting, turn the oven up to 230C (450F) Gas 8.
Once the oven is to temperature, remove the foil and parchment paper, baste the meat with some of the juices and put back in the oven for five minutes to help colour the meat.
To serve, carefully decant the meat to a platter dish along with the potatoes. Pour the cooking juices into a bowl and skim off the fat and drizzle over the meat.