Pan Roasted Loin of Lamb with Red Wine Sauce

The meat is an expensive cut so save this recipe for a special occasion. The sauce is time-consuming – but as you’re already doing this for a special occasion… (you can buy ready-made sauce). The meat is pan roasted – please read the tale above for cautionary notes about this method of cooking.

Make the stock: Preheat the oven to 200C, Gas 6. Put the garlic in tin foil with a teaspoon of water – scrunch up the foil on top of the cloves. Put the ribs and wings in a bowl and cover with the passata and a tablespoon of light olive oil, mix well and place on an oven tray. But the garlic in tinfoil on the tray and bake the roast for about 30 minutes. Take the garlic out of the oven and set aside. Turn the ribs and wings and roast for a further 10 – 20 minutes or until the meat and bones have browned. Take the bones off the oven tray and place in a large saucepan (deglaze the pan to extract any residues. Add the water and bring to the boil and simmer very gently for 10 minutes. Skim any scum off the surface. Add the vegetables and the bay leaves. Simmer – again very gently – for 2 1/2 hours. Strain the stock using a colander and discard the bones and vegetables. Strain the stock again through muslin. Measure 1 litre and set aside. Put the remaining stock into cartons, cool and refrigerate for later.

Start the sauce: Put the wine in a sauce pan and bring to the boil. Flame the alcohol and reduce half. Squeeze out the garlic from its skin and add to the wine. Add the reserved litre of stock to the wine and reduce by half.

Finish the sauce: Continue reducing the sauce until it is rich and flavoursome. Add the vinegar and simmer for another minute, add the red currant to taste and season with salt and pepper. Just before serving add the butter to taste and whisk to make a smooth and silky sauce. You can thicken your sauce further by mixing in a teaspoon or more of cornflour (mix with a cool liquid before adding) or you can make a roux mixing 1 tbs of flour with 1 tbs of butter and adding to the sauce – ensure you ‘cook out’ the flour by simmering for several minutes.

Cook the potatoes and celeriac: Preheat the oven to 200C, Gas 6. Peel the vegetables separately and chop to a similar size. Put the potatoes in a large pan of salted water and bring to the boil. Boil for 5 minutes then add the celeriac and boil for a further 5 minutes. Drain and place in a large bowl. Add a good glug of olive oil and mix. Place on a baking tray and roast on the top shelf for 20 – 30 minutes until evenly browned turning once during cooking.

Cook the fillets: Preheat the oven to 180C, Gas 4. Heat a large oven-proof frying pan on a medium high heat until very hot. Add a small amount of light olive oil and brown the fillets on all sides. Add the rosemary sprigs and place in the oven and roast for about 5-8 minutes. Using and oven glove, check the pan after 5 minutes and judge the meat for doneness. If you want very pink lamb ensure you take it out before it is just as you like it – as it will continue to cook during resting. Again ensuring you have an oven glove – remove the pan and place the meat on a warm tray and cover. Then using an oven glove take hold of the pan. Reserve the rosemary sprigs. Then and add a little water and some of the sauce and deglaze the pan. Strain back into the sauce.

Serve: Slice the fillets into even thick slices and plate. The juices from the meat can be incorporated back into the sauce but you will need to simmer and strain again. Or the juices can be put back over the meat. Plate the potatoes and celeriac and serve the sauce in a sauce-boat on the side – along with the extra vegetables.