Ireland’s Blue Book is made up of some of the nation's finest accommodations, including country manors, castles, country house hotels and restaurants. Here are a few select Easter lamb recipes from the chefs at three of their properties.
Slow-roasted leg of new season spring lamb
Roast leg of lamb from Butler House in Kilkenny. \ Ireland's Blue Book
Butler House, Co KilkennyServes eight
Ingredients:
For the lamb:
2kg leg of spring lamb on the bone For the Garlic and Rosemary Butter3 large garlic cloves25g butter softened4–5 stalks fresh rosemary, plus extra for garnishSalt and freshly ground black pepper For the gravy:
125ml red wine15g butter1 tbsp plain flourDirections
1. Preheat the oven to 200°C. Remove the lamb from the fridge and allow it to get to room temperature.
2. Make the garlic and rosemary butter: peel the garlic cloves and grate them finely. Place into a bowl with the butter.
3. Strip the leaves off the rosemary stalks and chop finely. Add to the bowl with the garlic and butter. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper; mash to a paste with a fork.
4. With a sharp thin knife or metal skewer, make between 30 and 50 small incisions into the flesh of the lamb. They should be large enough for you to stick just your fingertip into.
5. Work the butter and garlic mixture into the lamb by massaging it into the meat, trying to work it into the holes that you've created.
6. Place the lamb in a roasting tin, cover loosely with foil and place in the preheated oven. As it heats up, the butter will melt and help the rosemary and garlic to work their way into the holes and really penetrate the lamb.
7. After 30 minutes, remove the foil and leave to roast for a further 50 to 60 minutes (for medium) or until cooked to your liking.
8. At the end of cooking time, remove the lamb from the oven and leave it to rest in the roasting tin for 10 to 15 minutes, with some foil on top to keep it warm.
9. Make the gravy: heat a heavy-based frying pan on the hob. When hot, pour the pan juices from the roasting tin into the pan (be careful as it may splatter). Add the red wine. Turn the heat down and leave the sauce to reduce.
10. To thicken the sauce, make a roux by mixing together the flour and butter in a clean bowl to make a paste. Add about a teaspoon of the roux to the pan and whisk well, until the sauce has the desired consistency.
11. To serve, slice the lamb and pour over the gravy. Garnish with a couple of stalks of fresh rosemary. This would be good with potatoes dauphinoise and fresh vegetables, for an Easter Sunday lunch.
Roasted lamb noisette with warmed tomato and red ale jus
Kevin Dundon of Dunbrody House, Co WexfordServes four
Ingredients:
700g loin of lamb1 bunch wild garlic, washed4 rosemary sprigs, chopped2 thyme sprigs, chopped4 garlic cloves, crushed1 lemon, zested2 tbsp olive oilSalt and freshly ground pepper6 -12 piccolo cherry tomato500g baby potatoes100g butter1 tbsp grated Parmesan100ml red ale200ml chicken or lamb stockDirections:
1. Debone and trim the lamb loin, keeping a fine layer of firm white fat around the eye meat. Place a few leaves of wild garlic in the centre, then secure with kitchen twine and divide into noisettes or portions. Place in a bowl with three chopped sprigs rosemary, thyme, garlic, lemon zest and a drizzle of olive oil.
2. Bring a small pot of water to the boil and prepare a bowl of ice water, too. Plunge the tomatoes into the boiling water for 20 seconds until they begin to peel, then transfer immediately into the ice water bowl.
3. Peel the cherry tomatoes and keep aside.
4. Preheat the oven to 200°C.
5. Place the potatoes into a saucepan of lightly salted water. Bring to the boil and simmer for 18 to 20 minutes until softened. Drain the potatoes, then transfer to a baking tray and crush the potatoes with a potato masher.
6. Melt 70g of butter with the rosemary in a small pan and drizzle over the crushed potatoes. Pop into the oven for 10 to 15 minutes until slightly crisp on top.
7. In the meantime, heat an ovenproof frying pan and caramelise the lamb on all sides for about five minutes. Season well with salt and pepper.
8. Transfer the pan with the lamb and garlic to the oven. Roast for about 10 minutes or until cooked pink in the centre.
9. Remove the lamb noisettes from the pan on to a board and cover with foil to rest.
10. Meanwhile, drain excess fat from the lamb’s frying pan. Over a medium heat, add the red ale and reduce by two-thirds. Add stock and rosemary and reduce until it coats the back of a spoon. Strain through a sieve. Add 30g of butter and the tomato and swirl the butter into the sauce until glossy and warm.
11. Serve the noisettes of lamb with a drizzle of jus and a warm tomato and the potato.
Connemara lamb marinated in port and honey
Currarevagh House, Co GalwayServes nine
Ingredients
1 full rack of lamb (weight before boning about 2.5kg), bonedMarinade:
200ml soy sauce200ml port200ml honey150ml fresh orange juice1 tbsp balsamic vinegar1 sprig of rosemarySalt and freshly ground pepper, to tasteTomato and mint chutney:
450g brown sugar450ml red wine vinegar400g tinned plum tomatoes2 bay leaves1 bunch fresh mint, chopped Directions:
1. Make the chutney: place all ingredients, except the mint, in a saucepan. Bring to the boil slowly, stirring to dissolve the sugar, then reduce the heat and simmer very gently for about one hour or until it has reduced in volume by at least half. Remove bay leaves, stir in the mint and season to taste. This is best served hot, though it is also good cold.
2. To prepare the lamb, mix the marinade ingredients and marinate the lamb in the fridge overnight.
3. Preheat the oven to 220°C. Meanwhile, roll the meat neatly and tie with a string at 3cm intervals and then cut in half, to ensure even cooking. Place the meat in a large roasting tin and pour the marinade over. Roast for 20 minutes and then leave to rest for a further 20 minutes or until you are ready to slice. The meat will be tender and pink, so if it is preferred medium to well done, it should be left in the oven for a further 10 to 20 minutes.
4. Slice and serve with seasonal vegetables and the tomato and mint chutney.
Ireland’s Blue Book is made up of some of the nation's finest accommodations, including country manors, castles, country house hotels and restaurants. Here are a few select Easter lamb recipes from the chefs at three of their properties.
Slow-roasted leg of new season spring lamb
Roast leg of lamb from Butler House in Kilkenny. \ Ireland's Blue Book
Butler House, Co KilkennyServes eight
Ingredients:
For the lamb:
2kg leg of spring lamb on the bone For the Garlic and Rosemary Butter3 large garlic cloves25g butter softened4–5 stalks fresh rosemary, plus extra for garnishSalt and freshly ground black pepper For the gravy:
125ml red wine15g butter1 tbsp plain flourDirections
1. Preheat the oven to 200°C. Remove the lamb from the fridge and allow it to get to room temperature.
2. Make the garlic and rosemary butter: peel the garlic cloves and grate them finely. Place into a bowl with the butter.
3. Strip the leaves off the rosemary stalks and chop finely. Add to the bowl with the garlic and butter. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper; mash to a paste with a fork.
4. With a sharp thin knife or metal skewer, make between 30 and 50 small incisions into the flesh of the lamb. They should be large enough for you to stick just your fingertip into.
5. Work the butter and garlic mixture into the lamb by massaging it into the meat, trying to work it into the holes that you've created.
6. Place the lamb in a roasting tin, cover loosely with foil and place in the preheated oven. As it heats up, the butter will melt and help the rosemary and garlic to work their way into the holes and really penetrate the lamb.
7. After 30 minutes, remove the foil and leave to roast for a further 50 to 60 minutes (for medium) or until cooked to your liking.
8. At the end of cooking time, remove the lamb from the oven and leave it to rest in the roasting tin for 10 to 15 minutes, with some foil on top to keep it warm.
9. Make the gravy: heat a heavy-based frying pan on the hob. When hot, pour the pan juices from the roasting tin into the pan (be careful as it may splatter). Add the red wine. Turn the heat down and leave the sauce to reduce.
10. To thicken the sauce, make a roux by mixing together the flour and butter in a clean bowl to make a paste. Add about a teaspoon of the roux to the pan and whisk well, until the sauce has the desired consistency.
11. To serve, slice the lamb and pour over the gravy. Garnish with a couple of stalks of fresh rosemary. This would be good with potatoes dauphinoise and fresh vegetables, for an Easter Sunday lunch.
Roasted lamb noisette with warmed tomato and red ale jus
Kevin Dundon of Dunbrody House, Co WexfordServes four
Ingredients:
700g loin of lamb1 bunch wild garlic, washed4 rosemary sprigs, chopped2 thyme sprigs, chopped4 garlic cloves, crushed1 lemon, zested2 tbsp olive oilSalt and freshly ground pepper6 -12 piccolo cherry tomato500g baby potatoes100g butter1 tbsp grated Parmesan100ml red ale200ml chicken or lamb stockDirections:
1. Debone and trim the lamb loin, keeping a fine layer of firm white fat around the eye meat. Place a few leaves of wild garlic in the centre, then secure with kitchen twine and divide into noisettes or portions. Place in a bowl with three chopped sprigs rosemary, thyme, garlic, lemon zest and a drizzle of olive oil.
2. Bring a small pot of water to the boil and prepare a bowl of ice water, too. Plunge the tomatoes into the boiling water for 20 seconds until they begin to peel, then transfer immediately into the ice water bowl.
3. Peel the cherry tomatoes and keep aside.
4. Preheat the oven to 200°C.
5. Place the potatoes into a saucepan of lightly salted water. Bring to the boil and simmer for 18 to 20 minutes until softened. Drain the potatoes, then transfer to a baking tray and crush the potatoes with a potato masher.
6. Melt 70g of butter with the rosemary in a small pan and drizzle over the crushed potatoes. Pop into the oven for 10 to 15 minutes until slightly crisp on top.
7. In the meantime, heat an ovenproof frying pan and caramelise the lamb on all sides for about five minutes. Season well with salt and pepper.
8. Transfer the pan with the lamb and garlic to the oven. Roast for about 10 minutes or until cooked pink in the centre.
9. Remove the lamb noisettes from the pan on to a board and cover with foil to rest.
10. Meanwhile, drain excess fat from the lamb’s frying pan. Over a medium heat, add the red ale and reduce by two-thirds. Add stock and rosemary and reduce until it coats the back of a spoon. Strain through a sieve. Add 30g of butter and the tomato and swirl the butter into the sauce until glossy and warm.
11. Serve the noisettes of lamb with a drizzle of jus and a warm tomato and the potato.
Connemara lamb marinated in port and honey
Currarevagh House, Co GalwayServes nine
Ingredients
1 full rack of lamb (weight before boning about 2.5kg), bonedMarinade:
200ml soy sauce200ml port200ml honey150ml fresh orange juice1 tbsp balsamic vinegar1 sprig of rosemarySalt and freshly ground pepper, to tasteTomato and mint chutney:
450g brown sugar450ml red wine vinegar400g tinned plum tomatoes2 bay leaves1 bunch fresh mint, chopped Directions:
1. Make the chutney: place all ingredients, except the mint, in a saucepan. Bring to the boil slowly, stirring to dissolve the sugar, then reduce the heat and simmer very gently for about one hour or until it has reduced in volume by at least half. Remove bay leaves, stir in the mint and season to taste. This is best served hot, though it is also good cold.
2. To prepare the lamb, mix the marinade ingredients and marinate the lamb in the fridge overnight.
3. Preheat the oven to 220°C. Meanwhile, roll the meat neatly and tie with a string at 3cm intervals and then cut in half, to ensure even cooking. Place the meat in a large roasting tin and pour the marinade over. Roast for 20 minutes and then leave to rest for a further 20 minutes or until you are ready to slice. The meat will be tender and pink, so if it is preferred medium to well done, it should be left in the oven for a further 10 to 20 minutes.
4. Slice and serve with seasonal vegetables and the tomato and mint chutney.
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