This dish came about as I got access to some wild salt bush and wanted to experiment using it in dishes. The only thing I knew about saltbush was that it was best friend with a nice piece of lamb so here we have it, lamb and salt bush. I have deep fried it for this dish and it added a lovely crunchy, herbaceous saltiness to the dish. Have you tried salt bush before? If you have, how have you used it?
Difficulty: Medium
Time: 90 minutes
Serves: 2
Ingredients
Lamb Loin
- 2 strips of lamb loin halved
- salt
- pepper
- oil
Crispy Salt Bush
- 1 cup fresh salt bush leaves
Beetroot Puree
- 2 red beetroot
- 2 cups chicken stock
- 2 tbsp butter
- salt
- pepper
Pickled Beetroot
- 1 red baby beetroot thinly sliced using mandolin*
- 1 yellow baby beetroot thinly sliced using mandolin*
- 1 target baby beetroot thinly sliced using mandolin*
- verjus
- salt
Pine Nut and Pepita Crumb
- 1/3 cup pine nuts
- 1/3 cup pepita crumb
- 1 tsp mixed native Australian bush spices
- salt
Jus
- 1/2 brown onion diced
- trimmings from the lamb loin
- 3 thyme twigs
- 1/3 cup marsala wine
- 1/3 cup red wine
- 2/3 cup chicken stock
- juice from the lamb sous vide
- salt
- pepper
- 4 tbsp butter
* I've used a cutter to cut these into flower shapes. You can do the same or keep the full slice.
Method
1. Season the lamb with salt and pepper, put it in a ziplock bag and cook it in a 55 degree sous vide bath for 1 hour.
2. For the beetroot pickle, put the different coloured beet root into different small containers. Add enough verjus to cover and season with salt. Mix it well together and set aside to pickle.
3. Make the pine nut and pepita crumb by lightly roasting the nuts in a pan over medium/low heat until fragrant and golden. Let it cool to room temperature before grinding it into crumb in a food processor. Add the mixed native Australian bush spice and season with salt. Set aside.
4. Make the beetroot puree by adding the beetroot, chicken stock, butter, pepper into a stock pot, bring to boil then simmer over medium heat for 25 minutes until fully softened. Transfer the beetroot to a food processor with about 6 tbsp of the stock, blitz into a smooth puree. Season to taste and keep warm.
5. For the salt bush crisp, heat up about 1 cm of oil in a small saucepan until the oil has just started to smoke. Reduce it down to medium heat, and deep fry the salt bush for 30 seconds until it's crisp. Take it out and place it on a plate lined with kitchen paper towel.
6. Make the jus by browning the onion and lamb trimmings in a small saucepan until the onion is very well caramelised (dark brown but not burnt) over medium heat. Deglaze the pot by adding the marsala wine and red wine, cook until the wine is reduced to approximately 1/4 cup. Add the chicken stock, jus from the lamb, fresh thyme and pepper. Continue cooking over medium heat until the liquid is reduced down to approximately 1/4 cup. Pass the liquid through a sieve then return the liquid to a clean saucepan. Season the sauce with salt and slowly incorporate the cold butter into the sauce until it achieves the right consistency. Keep warm and set aside.
7. Dry the sous vide lamb loin with kitchen paper towel and season it well with salt. Heat up some oil in a heavy cast iron pan and sear all sides of the lamb to get a brown caramelised crust for approximately 30 seconds to a minute. Take it out and let it rest.
8. Assemble by placing some crumbs on the plate. Topped with a piece of the lamb loin, with crispy salt bush on top. Spoon some puree inside a circular mould, then top with the pickled beetroot. Finish by adding jus to the plate.
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