Luke Dale Roberts' lamb and butternut squash braai
We're transporting you to another fabulous location for a slice of sun and sizzling food!
We're taking in the breathtaking views of Table Mountain in Cape Town with chef Luke Dale Roberts as he shows us the South African tradition for barbecuing or braai, as he makes delicious lamb potjie.
Lamb and butternut squash braai
Serves: 6
Ingredients
For the potjie (lamb stew)
4kg lamb shanks1 onion, roughly chopped 1 carrot roughly chopped 1 leek roughly chopped 1 celery roughly chopped 3 cloves garlic1 bay leaf1 sprig of thyme and rosemary1 tbsp allspice2 cinnamon sticks4 star anise100g prunes200ml red wine300ml Muscadel100ml sherry4 litres lamb stock2 litres beef stock
For the squash
1 butternut squash4 sage leaves150g butterSalt to season
For the cabbage
1 Savoy cabbage, leaves picked and separated100ml olive oil
For the lamb loins
2 lamb loins; portioned into 100g x 6Vegetable oil for frying100g butter5 thyme sprigs
Cinnamon crumb
100g toasted breadcrumbs2 tbsp cinnamon powder
For the spiced oil
300ml olive oil1 tbsp allspice4 star anise2 sticks cinnamon
Garnish
Herbs to garnish: Any edible leaves.
Special Equipment: potjie pot or stew pot, braai or char grill, tongs, charcoal (if using), spoons, knife, 2 medium pans, sieve (chinois)
Method
1. Firstly make the potjie: Place the potjie pot over hot coals or place a regular stew pot over a medium heat.
2. Caramelise the lamb shanks in the pot with a splash of vegetable oil until golden brown. Next add the vegetables and herbs and gently cook until caramelised.
3. Add both wines then add the stocks and cover with the lid. Allow to simmer over a low heat for 6 - 8 hours. Stirring as little as possible.
4. Once the stew has one hour left to go start making the accompaniments - place the entire butternut on top of the BBQ (or in a preheated oven at 180 for around one hour on until tender) and close the lid, allowing the butternut to cook until charred on the outside and soft on the inside, for around 1 hour then set aside.
5. Meanwhile, brown the butter in a pan. Remove from the heat and add the sage. Stir until the butter is infused and strain the herbs.
6. To make the cinnamon crumb: Place the toasted breadcrumbs and cinnamon powder in a blender and pulse to a light crumb.
7. To make the spiced oil, gently heat the oil with all the spices. Remove from the heat and allow to infuse. Strain.
8. Once the potjie is cooked, strain out the braising liquid and reduce by half, creating a light jus. Remove the Lamb shanks from the potjie and pick the meat from the bones, discarding the bones and adding the meat back into the pot.
9. To cook the cabbage, drizzle the leaves well with olive oil, salt and pepper. Char the leaves straight onto the braai (this can be done on a hot char grill) until distinct char marks and cabbage is cooked.
10. Finally for the lamb loin: Get a pan smoking hot and splash with vegetable oil. Season the loin well with salt and pepper and fry for 1 minute on each side.
11. Next add the butter and thyme to the pan and continuously baste the lamb loin in butte for a few minutes or until cooked to taste. Remove the loin from the pan and allow to rest for 1 minute.
12. Slice the cooked butternut into rounds and season with the butter and salt.
13. To assemble: heat 200ml of the potjie jus in a pan and add six tablespoons of the potjie stew to the jus. Slice the rested loin in half widthways.
14. Serve the hot butternut on the right-hand side of the plate and cover in the cinnamon crumb. Place the charred savoy cabbage on the opposite side of the plate and lay the lamb on top of the cabbage. Spoon the potjie jus over one portion of lamb loin and dress with the herbs in the spiced oil.
15. Finally, enjoy all your hard work, shut your eyes and pretend you are on holiday in South Africa!