Recipes: Scottish Black Isle lamb leg | Apple Charlotte | Honey roast parsnip creme brulee |

THREE offerings this week, beginning with two recipes for St Andrew’s Day from Derek Johnstone, from Chez Roux at Greywalls, in Gullane, and a tantalising sweetener from Paul Wedgwood, from Wedgwood the Restaurant, on the Canongate.

Scottish Black Isle lamb leg roasted in a salt and lavender crust

Ingredients

For the lamb

1 x 1.5kg lamb leg

75ml pomace oil

20g salt

Salt lavender crust

1kg pain flour

2 egg whites

60g dried lavender

450ml water

250g table salt

400g course sea salt

2 egg yolks

Pumpkin Crumble

100g cold butter

150g plain flour

10g sea salt

100g Isle Mull Cheddar

75g almonds, hazelnuts or walnuts chopped

600g pumpkin

300g butternut squash

50ml olive oil

1 onion

Nutmeg

Garlic

Method

In a very hot frying pan, seal off the seasoned lamb leg, ensuring a even golden brown colour. Allow to cool down.

To make the lavender crust, mix the flour, egg whites and dried lavender with the water to form a paste. Add both types of salt and knead well. Refrigerate.

Roll out the crust and place a sprig of rosemary onto the spot in which the lamb will be placed. Cover with the crust. Brush with egg wash and cook at 200C for 35 minutes. Allow to rest and serve at the table encased by the crust.

To make the pumpkin topping, work the cold butter into sieved flour. Rub with your finger and a sandy texture will form.

Add salt, cheese and nuts.

Cut the vegetable into small bite size pieces and sweat in a large pan. Stir occasionally until the vegetables start to take on colour. Add the onions and garlic and sweat under foil. Pour into a oven proof dish and sprinkle with the topping. Bake for 20 minutes at 180C.

Apple Charlotte

Ingredients

1kg peeled and cored apples

200g caster sugar

1 vanilla pod

2 tonka beans

Method

Mix the sugar, vanilla, grated tonka bean and then add diced apples. Cook out till soft.

To assemble, line a buttered pudding basin with bread brushed in clarified butter, placing a disk of bread at the bottom followed by strips around the edge. Fill with cooled apple compote. Seal with another disk of bread brushed with clarified butter and bake. Once baked lay a tray on top to press. Reserve.

Honey roast parsnip creme brulee 


Ingredients

1200ml double cream

4 medium sized parsnips (500g puree)

12 large egg yolks

150g caster sugar

1 whole egg

2 tsp vegetable oil

2 tbsp honey


Method

Peel and core parsnips and cut into 2cm dice, place on a baking sheet with oil and honey, cover with foil and bake for about 20 minutes at 180C until soft.

Leave to cool.

Place cream into thick bottom pan and bring to boil. Cream together eggs and sugar until light and fluffy.

Pour over a little of hot cream mix to “scald” the egg mix.

Add rest of cream.

In a food processor, blitz together parsnips and brulee mix and pass through a fine sieve. Keep working as much of the mix through as possible.

Skim off any foam.

Pour into ramekins.

Place into bain marie in warm oven for about 10-15 mins.