“Lamb and tzatziki is possibly my all-time favourite Greek combination,” says Christian Ryan, chef at Restaurant Maria in Hobart. “These fall-apart lamb ribs are elevated with a fennel seasoning.”
Ingredients
Method
For goat’s curd tzatziki, place cucumber, then yoghurt in a sieve placed over a bowl. Cover with a plate and refrigerate overnight to drain (8 hours). Transfer drained cucumber and yoghurt mixture to a large bowl. Add remaining ingredients, season and stir to combine. Refrigerate overnight for flavours to develop.
Preheat oven to 130°C fan-forced. Place onion, garlic, herbs and sumac in a large baking dish. Arrange lamb ribs on top, pour over stock and wine to cover; cover tightly with two layers aluminium foil; braise in oven until lamb is tender (3½ hours). Cool, then refrigerate for 2 hours or until fat has solidified. (If not using same day, store ribs in an airtight container to prevent drying).
Meanwhile, for fennel seasoning, dry-roast fennel seeds, salt, sugar and peppercorns in a frying pan over medium heat until fragrant (1-2 minutes). Add remaining ingredients and dry-toast, tossing, until combined (1 minute; be careful as mixture can burn). Remove from heat. Transfer mixture to a spice grinder; pulse, in batches, to a coarse powder. Cool completely. Set aside until required. Seasoning can be stored in a sealable jar for 1 month.
Remove lamb ribs from braising liquid, discarding solidified fat. Portion each lamb breast into individual ribs and pat dry with paper towel. Heat a barbecue or lightly greased char-grill pan to high. Drizzle ribs with oil, and grill, in batches, until charred (2-3 minutes each side). Transfer lamb ribs to a large bowl and toss in fennel seasoning.
Spread tzatziki on base of a serving platter; arrange lamb ribs on top, scatter with extra fennel seasoning and top with soft herbs to serve.
Lamb breast comes from the belly of the lamb. Pre-order whole racks from your butcher.
This recipe also calls for chilling (see method).
Note