Sean's Signature Dish

Confit of Welsh lamb

Ingredients
The lamb
1X Boneless lamb shoulder
2oz Sea salt
2oz Rosemary
3 cloves Garlic (chopped)
Ground black pepper
1 tin Duck or goose fat
String

The mash

1lb Peeled floury potatoes (pref Maris piper)
½ lb Butter
1ozChopped flat leaf parsley
1ozChopped chives
Salt & pepper

The sauce

1pint lamb jus or beef
2 cloves garlic
bunch Chopped rosemary
Bottle red wine
Red currant jelly (optional if using lamb stock)

Method

1. firstly we need to marinade the lamb. Finely chop or pulse in a processor the salt, rosemary, garlic making sure you retain some texture.
2. Rub the marinade all over the meat and leave covered in the fridge for 24hrs
3. Before tying the lamb place the duck or goose fat in a roasting tin large enough so that the lamb can be submerged when the fat has melted. Place the tin in the oven on a low heat 120-140 degree centigrade. Tie the lamb with string to form a neat joint and place into the roasting tin uncovered.
4. Allow the lamb to slowly cook for between 4-5hrs. Test whether the lamb is cooked it usually floats on the surface of the fat and has a golden colour and when poked with a fork the juices run clear. It must be remembered that unlike many lamb dishes you can not choose to cook the lamb pink and reduce the cooking time as the slow cooking imparts the flavour and succulence of the dish as well as rendering most of the fat from the lamb.
5. Carefully remove from the fat with a carving fork and wrap fairly tightly in cling film and leave cool completely. At this point the lamb can be left refrigerated for a number of weeks.
6. To make the sauce sauté the garlic, rosemary, carrot and mixed vegetables until soft pour off the excess oil and add the red wine
7. Reduce the wine until the mix is quite syrupy then add the stock and redcurrant jelly if using until the sauce coats the back of a spoon and pass through a sieve
8. Place the potatoes in a pan of seasoned water and boil until cooked place in a colander and drain
9. Melt the butter with the herbs and process until well blended
10. Add to the mash and check seasoning keep warm
11. To serve slice the lamb removing string into 4 or 5 pieces place in ovenproof dish with some of the sauce to keep moist, cover with tin foil and heat in oven 170 oc for approx ½ hour.
12. place a mound of warmed mashed potato into centre of plate, place the hot lamb confit onto mash and spoon the sauce over and around the meat. Garnish with fresh rosemary and redcurrants.