Name: Lamb crépinettes with sautéed peas
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 55 min
Yield: 4
Ingredients: 2 tbsp duck fat or lard; ½ onion, finely chopped; 400 gm lamb fillet, finely diced; 150 gm coarsely minced pork; 30 gm soft white breadcrumbs; 2 tbsp coarsely chopped flat-leaf parsley; 1 garlic clove, crushed; 1 tsp finely chopped rosemary; ¼ tsp quatre-épices (see note); 20 gm butter, coarsely chopped; 150 gm caul fat, soaked in cold water with ½ tsp salt for 1 hour (see note); To serve: wholegrain mustard (optional); Sautéed peas; 20 gm butter, coarsely chopped; 2 golden shallots, thinly sliced; 40 gm bacon lardons; 1 garlic clove, crushed; 400 gm frozen peas, defrosted; 100 ml chicken stock; 1 tbsp mint jelly; 3 cups (loosely packed) pea tendrils

Lamb crépinettes with sautéed peas

Lisa Featherby recipe for lamb crépinettes with sautéed peas.

Serves 4

Prep

30M

Cook

25M

Total

55M

Crépinettes are skinless sausages wrapped in lacy caul fat, or crépine, which holds everything in place, then renders as it cooks, providing extra flavour and juiciness. Here we’ve opted for a lamb mixture.

Ingredients

2 tbsp duck fat or lard

½ onion, finely chopped

400 gm lamb fillet, finely diced

150 gm coarsely minced pork

30 gm soft white breadcrumbs

2 tbsp coarsely chopped flat-leaf parsley

1 garlic clove, crushed

1 tsp finely chopped rosemary

¼ tsp quatre-épices (see note)

20 gm butter, coarsely chopped

150 gm caul fat, soaked in cold water with ½ tsp salt for 1 hour (see note)

To serve: wholegrain mustard (optional)

Sautéed peas

20 gm butter, coarsely chopped

2 golden shallots, thinly sliced

40 gm bacon lardons

1 garlic clove, crushed

400 gm frozen peas, defrosted

100 ml chicken stock

1 tbsp mint jelly

3 cups (loosely packed) pea tendrils

Method

Main

1.Heat half the duck fat or lard in a frying pan over medium-high heat, add onion and sauté until starting to turn golden (5-7 minutes). Spread over a plate to cool, then transfer to a bowl. Add lamb, pork, breadcrumbs, parsley, garlic, rosemary and quatre-épices, mix and season well, then divide into 8 meatballs. Gently remove caul fat from water and, working quickly so it doesn’t dry out, lay it flat on a work surface and cut out 8 rough 15cm squares, place a meatball in the centre of each and wrap to enclose, overlapping at the joins. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate.

2.Preheat oven to 170C. Heat remaining duck fat or lard in a large ovenproof frying pan over medium-high heat, add crépinettes and fry, carefully turning occasionally, until golden brown (3-5 minutes). Transfer to oven and roast until cooked through (5-7 minutes). Keep warm.

3.For sautéed peas, heat butter in a frying pan over high heat, add shallot and sauté until tender (3-6 minutes), then add garlic and bacon, and cook until fragrant (10 seconds). Add peas, stock and mint jelly, bring to the boil, then boil until stock is almost reduced and peas are tender and glazed (2-4 minutes). Stir in pea tendrils. Serve crépinettes on sautéed peas with mustard.

Note Quatre-épices, a spice blend used often in charcuterie, is available from herbies.com.au. Order caul fat ahead from a butcher.
Drink Suggestion: Savoury young merlot. Drink suggestion by Max Allen
Notes