Flinders Island Lamb saddle, sweetbreads, sheeps curd, eggplant, pickled raisins, pearl onions.

Flinders Island is a beautiful remote dot in Bass Strait, with stunning white beaches, rolling green hills and one dramatic, rocky peak that reaches for the clean blue skies. And Flinders Island saltgrass lamb is a bit different. There is something about the remote, pristine environment, offering crisp salty air and lush green pastures. This special, slightly salty diet that the livestock graze on gives them a flavour unique to the Island. It is subtle and consistently delicious. All lambs graze on natural pastures and are free of antibiotics and growth hormones.

Ingredients and Methods

Preparation

20 mins day before

Cooking

2 hours

Serves

6 - 8

Ingredients

2 Lamb Loins
150g Sweetbread
100g Good quality sheep curd
4 Pearl onions
1 Lemon Peel
2 Sprigs Thyme
100 ml Vinegar
100 ml Water
100 g Sugar
50 g Golden raisins
100 g Unsalted butter

Lamb Sauce

1 Lamb Bones
2 Carrots
2 Stick of Celery
4 Shallots
1 Clove of Garlic
2 Sprigs of Thyme
1 Bay leaf
4 Peppercorns
1 tbsp Coriander Seeds
1 lt Veal Stock
500ml Chicken Stock
100 ml Sherry vinegar or red wine
500ml Red Wine

Eggplant Puree

2 Eggplants
2 tsp Cumin seeds
200 ml Vegtable Oil
½ cup Lemon Juice
0 Salt

Instructions

METHOD:

EGGPLANT PURÉE:

Half the eggplants length ways, score the inside with a small knife, season with salt and a touch of lemon juice, covered with foil and place in the oven at 160 until cooked.

Toast the cumin seeds, then place in oil, heat to 60c degrees then remove, allowing to infuse.

Once the eggplant is cooked remove the insides, blend and emulsify the cumin oil in till nice and smooth, season and place to one side.

LAMB SAUCE:

Sweat off the roughly chopped onions, carrots, celery and shallots and garlic in a pot. Once caramelised add in the red wine reduce to a syrup then add the vinegar, repeat the process, once reduced add in the veal and chicken stock, aromats then add in the roasted bones.

Allow to slowly simmer until you can taste the lamb flavour. Pass through a sieve then reduce to the desired consistency. Season to taste.

PEARL ONIONS:

Place the onions in a pot with cold water, lemon peel, salt and thyme

Simmer until just cooked allow them to cool then remove the skins. Half them and colour them in a pan until golden brown.

PICKLED RAISINS:

Bring the water, sugar, vinegar and aromatics to the boil then pour over the raisins, allow to cool in the liquid

LAMB LOIN AND SWEETBREADS:

Soak the sweet breads in milk for 24 hrs to remove excess blood then rinse well under cold water.

Blanch the sweet breads in boiling salted water for around 30 seconds, then refresh in ice cold salted water. Peel off the outer layer of skin.

Place them in a medium hot pan and cook until golden brown and a nice crust forms. Then turn over and finish with a knob of butter.

For the lamb loin roast in a pan getting colour all over, place in the oven for around 6 minutes then finish with a knob of butter, thyme sprigs and garlic, basting with the golden foaming butter.

Allow to rest for 10 mins

TO SERVE:

Place the onions, lamb loin, sweetbreads in the oven for 2-3 mins to heat up.

Place a spoonful of the puree on the plate with a few dots for the sheep's curd.

Slice the lamb, add the onions, sweetbreads, raisins to the plate then dress with a few fresh herbs and sauce

Chef David Hall

David Hall is Pure South Dining's newest addition as head chef of this iconic Southgate restaurant. The talented young chef joins a world-class team in the Pure South Dining kitchen and will continue to create menus that are true to the restaurant’s ethos of “Provenance, Sustainable, Ethical”. “David’s career mirrors our own authentic story and he fits the definition of a great modern chef,” said Philip Kennedy. (more)

here to view all of Chef David Hall's recipes.

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