Lamb Barnsley Chop, Salmoriglio, Agrodolce & Koji
Alex Prichard, Icebergs
This dish is simple and uses an incredible cut of lamb that has been forgotten lately, having both the loins protected by the bone it is the perfect cut to be tender and full of flavour for such a simple dish. As with everything simple and amazing the time should go into sourcing the best local ingredients. Lamb from your local butcher or direct from the farmer at the market, fresh & fragrant herbs, good quality aged merlot vinegar, cultured butter & the best Australian olive oil.
Ingredients
Salmoriglio
2 heads black garlic – Sweetwater Farm
3 Lemons, zested and Juiced – Fanelli Organics (Meyer Lemons if available are incredible)
2tbs fennel seeds – Spice Zen
200ml Olive Oil – Alto
Salt & Pepper – Olssons/Spice Zen
1 bunch of each of the following herbs from Darling Mills –
Rosemary
Sage
Parsley
Marjoram
2 Lamb Barnsley Chops (Around 300g each) – Mimosa Valley Lamb
80g Koji (Available at all good Japanese grocers)
50g butter – Pepe Saya
100ml Merlot Vinegar – Alto
50ml Extra Virgin Olive Oil – Alto
Salt & Pepper – Olsson’s /Spice Zen
1 Bunch Basil – Darling Mills
1 Punnet Oca Leaf – Block 11 Organics
1 Punnet Fennel Pollen – Fanelli Organics
Method
- Marinate the lamb chops in Koji overnight in the fridge.
- To make the Salmoriglio, pick all the herbs and peel the black garlic cloves. Combine with the remaining ingredients and blend until smooth.
- Begin by heating up your charcoal grill or BBQ (you can do this in a cast iron pan, but it needs to be super-hot so the fat from the lamb renders and the koji almost burns)
- Remove from fridge, season lightly with salt, pepper & olive oil
- Cook on the grill until each face and the fat cap are deeply caramelised (around 5-10 minutes depending on the grill)
- Finish in the oven on 200 degrees for 5-10 minutes until the lamb is medium. (Keeping the bone in the lamb will help to retain a lot of moisture and flavour. Don’t be scared to give it a good amount of time in the oven)
- Remove from the oven and add the Merlot Vinegar, Salmoriglio, Butter & more pepper.
- Allow to rest for 10 minutes then carve into thin slices, place onto plate and pour over all the juices and agrodolce. Finish with the Oca, Basil & Fennel Pollen.