Our kitchen garden cook rustles up rack of lamb with a redcurrant crust, redcurrant sauce and redcurrant and cherry crumble.
I grow both red and white currants in the kitchen garden, but it’s the white ones that are, in fact, sweeter. There is something so pretty about the delicate translucency of these glossy little currants and, as they are only available seasonally, it seems only right to make the most of them. They’re especially suited to making redcurrant jelly because of their naturally high pectin content. Just a little tip: it’s easiest to remove them from their stalks by using a fork.
Rack of lamb with a redcurrant crust (serves 4)
Ingredients
2 French-trimmed racks of lamb
For the crust
3 rosemary sprigs
A handful fresh parsley
100g redcurrants
100g breadcrumbs
30g butter
1tbspn wholegrain mustard
Zest of 1 lemon (juice to be used below)
Seasoning
For the salad
50g redcurrants
150g rocket
1 spring onion
Juice of 1 lemon
30ml olive oil
A handful of amaranth to scatter
Method
Chop the rosemary and parsley and add them to the breadcrumbs, along with the lemon zest, mustard and seasoning. Add the butter and use your fingertips to rub it into the breadcrumbs. Fold the redcurrants through the mixture.
Rub the racks of lamb all over with olive oil and then scatter with sea salt. Spread the breadcrumb mixture over the racks, pressing down gently to help it stay in place. At this stage, you can cover the lamb with clingfilm and place it in the refrigerator for up to 12 hours, until you’re ready to cook it.
Preheat your oven to 180˚C/350˚F/gas mark 4. Place the racks of lamb in a roasting tin and roast for 30 minutes.
While the lamb is cooking, combine the redcurrants, rocket, spring onion, lemon juice and olive oil in a bowl. Mix well.
Remove the lamb from the oven and cut into pieces. Serve with the salad and scatter the amaranth over the top.
More ways with redcurrants
Redcurrant and cherry crumble
Redcurrant and cherry crumble
Combine 50g wholemeal flour, 50g white flour and 50g soft brown sugar. Rub in 50g unsalted butter with your fingertips until it resembles breadcrumbs and then mix in 100g roughly chopped hazelnuts. Take an ovenproof dish and fill with 250g redcurrants, 250g whitecurrants and 500g pitted cherries. The natural pectin will make the currants form a jelly. Sprinkle 100g sugar over them followed by the crumble mixture on top. Bake in a moderately hot oven for 30 minutes. Serve with vanilla ice cream.
Crumbed Camembert with redcurrant sauce
Cut a Camembert into wedges. In three separate bowls, place a cup of seasoned flour, 2 beaten eggs and a cup of breadcrumbs. Dip each wedge in each bowl, in that order, and then deep fry in sunflower oil. Serve with redcurrant sauce made by gently simmering the following in a small saucepan for 15 minutes: 500g redcurrants, 200g sugar, 1 diced shallot, 2 sprigs rosemary, 100ml Port and seasoning.
