Lamb Fillet

This dish is packed with robust flavours, yet is relatively light and the visual appeal is stunning!

You will need:
1 lamb fillet
Spice mix:
1 teaspoon of pink peppercorns
1 teaspoon of green peppercorns
1 teaspoon of coriander seeds
Puree:
1 aubergine
2 garlic cloves
Pickled fennel and radish:
2 tablespoons of oil
1 tablespoon of red wine vinegar
Large pinch of salt
1 teaspoon of maple syrup
1 small fennel
200g radishes
Salad:
1 small courgette
1 teaspoon of lavender
1 tablespoon of pine nuts
200g butter beans
50-100ml stock
Black pepper to taste
1 tablespoon of raisins
1 tablespoon of gin
1/4 teaspoon
Bon bon:
200g leftover spiced roast lamb
3 sprigs of mint, leaves removed
Large pinch of chilli flakes
1 hen egg
100g panko breadcrumbs
50g plain flour
100g feta

Rapeseed oil
Salt

To make the spice rub for the fillet just crush the peppercorns and coriander into dust
Spread cling film across your worktop and sprinkle with about half the crushed spices
Place the fillet in the middle and sprinkle the remaining spices on top, then roll up very tightly, tucking in the sides as you go.
Leave that in the fridge overnight
For the aubergine, slice it in half and cross hatch the flesh on the inside, push the slices of garlic into the aubergine
Then line an oven dish with baking foil and preheat the oven to 160 degrees celsius
Sprinkle them with oil and salt, then wrap up tightly
Bake in the bottom of the oven for a couple of hours
Get everything in a blender, except the stalk of the aubergine, then pour in the contents of the foil as well
You should only need to add a little oil – just enough to get it nice and smooth, not to make it loose
Add in small amounts – alternating between oil and hot water also keeps the puree from getting too rich
To make the bonbon, place the meat into a bowl, with the other ingredients and rub together
Roll into 3-4cm ball and leave to set in the fridge for 20 minutes
To paneer, coat in the flour, then egg followed by the breadcrumbs
Then do the egg and breadcrumbs again
Again, they can be fried straight away, but it’s usually worth cooling them back down in the fridge first
This gives you time to get the frying oil up to the correct temperature, and also gives you the flexibility to fry them just before service
For the quick pickle, just add everything to a bowl and combine
Leave to stand for 20 minutes before service
Marinate the lavender, gin and raisins in a small bowl for 20 minutes
In a dry frying pan on a medium high heat, lightly toast the pine nuts to maximise flavour
We recommend removing a spoonful at this point – we’ll use them for presentation later
Pour in a large glug of oil, then add the courgette brunoise and fry for a few minutes
Season them with a pinch of salt, and keep stirring now and again
Add the gin mix followed by the stock
For the lamb:
Season it with salt, then get a decent glug of oil into a pan on a high heat and add the meat and brown all over
Add a knob of butter to the pan and place in an oven preheated to 200 degrees celsius, for no more than 5 minutes
Once it’s done, take it out of the oven, pour the buttery juices onto it and leave to rest for 3 minutes
Finally, get the bonbons out of the fridge and heat the frying oil to 190C

We have to repeat our usual warnings for deep frying:
Always have a fitted lid nearby
Always keep checking the temperature and adjusting the setting so it doesn’t get too hot
Never leave the oil unattended
NEVER attempt to extinguish an oil fire with water

Place the bonbons gently into the oil and let them fry for 2-3 minutes
Once they’re golden, get them all out of the oil and onto a couple of sheets of kitchen roll
Arrange on two plates and enjoy!