Saddle of lamb with lentils, onions and lamb sauce

"I love lentils: However, most people have a tendency to not add enough vegetables to the lentils, which I think is a shame (and also often a sign of laziness). I boil the lentils in water with lots of vegetables, discard the vegetables and then heat the lentils in chicken stock with lots more vegetables diced “in brunoise”, such that the vegetables make up almost half of the total quantity. I find that Puy lentils have the best flavour, but there are also other organic alternatives which are very good. Make sure that the lentils you buy are still green and have not turned yellow because they have been on the shelf for too long.

Lamb
Cut the meat from the bone so that the fat remains attached to the meat. This may require some practice. Remove the worst sinews, score the fat and bind the saddle with kitchen string. Brown the meat slowly so that the fat has time to melt and become crisp. Roast in an oven at 160 °C (320 °F) for approx. 5 minutes until finished. Let it rest for the same amount of time and slice the meat just before it is served.

Lentils
Peel all the vegetables. Dice half of the vegetables “in brunoise” and chop the other half roughly into cubes. Cover the roughly chopped vegetables and lentils with water and cook them gently. Make sure they are not cooked too much as they will become mushy. Take them off the heat and discard the boiled vegetables. Cut the chorizo sausage into cubes and gently fry in a little oil, add the lentils and the chicken stock and heat through until the vegetables are done and the chicken stock has reduced.

Onion variations

Onion purée
Cut away the bottom of the onion, but leave the skin on. Put the onions in an ovenproof dish with plenty of salt in the dish and place in the oven at 130 °C (266 °F) for approx. 30 min. or until they are tender. Take them out and peel off the skin when they are cool enough to handle. Put the onions into the chicken stock and cook them through (approx. 10 min). When the chicken stock has reduced to about half its original volume, purée the onion and stock in a blender. Steam the purée in a saucepan on the cooker until it has a suitable consistency, but make sure that you stir well so that it does not burn on the bottom of the saucepan. Finally, add butter.

Spring onions
Clean the onions and steam them in a little water, to which a little salt and a knob of butter is added.

Shallots
Peel the onions and steam them in a little water or chicken stock, to which a knob of butter is added (10 min).



Onion chips
Peel the onions and slice them thinly. Dip in flour and deep-fry them in oil. Add a little salt.

Lamb sauce
Peel the vegetables and sauté them in a saucepan until they are golden. Add the white wine, reduce by a third of the volume and then add the lamb stock. Reduce the sauce until it has a suitable flavour and consistency. Add butter."