Pistachio Dukkah Crusted Aussie Lamb Rack with Goat cheese potato croquette, confit tomatoes, garden peas, ajvar sauce, mint-chives oil
Recipe courtesy of Nelson Millán, Executive Chef of Vaquero Club (Westlake, Texas)
Ingredients
- Ingredients for Pistachio Dukkah
- coriander seeds - 3 Tbsps.
- cumin seeds - 1 Tbp.
- shelled raw pistachio nuts - 1/2 cup
- sesame seeds - 1/4 cup
- hazelnut - 1/4 cup
- chives - 2 Tbsps.
- thyme - 1 Tbsp.
- sea salt - 1 tsp.
- freshly cracked black pepper - 1/2 tsp.
- Activa - 2 Tbsps.
- Ingredients for the rack of lamb
- Rack of Australian Lamb - 1
- Ingredients for the Goat Cheese Potato Croquette
- russet potatoes - 1 lb.
- goat cheese crumbles - 4 ozs.
- corn starch - 3 ozs.
- bitten egg - 1 ea.
- salt and pepper - to taste
- chicken stock - 32 ozs.
- chopped chives - 2 Tbsps.
- Ingredients for Ajvar Sauce
- large eggplant - 1 ea.
- red bell peppers - 2 ea.
- large onion - 1 ea.
- clove of garlic - 6 ea.
- olive oil blend - 1/2 cup
- salt and pepper - to taste
- Ingredients for Tomato Confit
- heirloom cherry tomatoes - 1 lb.
- clove of garlic - 4 ea.
- thyme - 6 sprigs
- rosemary - 3 sprigs
- olive oil - 1 qt.
- salt and pepper - to taste
Instructions
Procedure for Pistachio Dukkah:
- Toast the sesame seeds and pistachios. Toasting the nuts and seeds unlocks and enhances their flavor! This is an essential step, especially since the recipe calls for raw pistachios and sesame seeds.
- Toast the spices. Just like with the pistachios, it’s important to toast the spices. Not only does it unlock flavor, but it adds flavor. Browning/toasting = flavor! (aka the Maillard reaction.)
- Grind the nuts and spices into a coarse powder and add Activa. If ground too fine, the spice blend will add fabulous flavor but no texture to meat. Keep it coarse so you get a nice crunch from it too.
Chef's Note: Dukkah is a type of spice blend that is a staple part of Egyptian cuisine. It is used to season the dishes and is made by blending different varieties of roasted and ground nuts, spices and seeds. The word “Dukkah” is derived from an Arabic word that stands for “to crush” or “to pound,” which aptly describes the coarse mixture which comes from the blend of spices, seeds, and roasted nuts. Traditionally, it is made with Almonds and Hazelnuts, but here we are twisting it with Pistachios.
Along with Pistachios, a few other spices are used, which provide a distinct flavor to Dukkah making it unique. It is an easy-to-make mix that can completely change the flavor of your simple dish. All the nuts, herbs, seeds and spices are roasted until it releases a beautiful aroma and then ground into a coarse powder using a mortar and pestle or a mixer grinder. Don’t grind it too much, as it is eaten coarse and not very fine for a crunchy texture.
Procedure for the rack of lamb:
- Sous vide rack of lamb @ 125f for 2 hours remove from circulator and chill.
- Season with salt and pepper and cover with Dukkah, pressing the mix against the lamb.
- Cry-o-vac and chill overnight (ideal for transglutaminase adherence).
- When ready to serve cook at 350f for 20 minutes to a 135f internal temperature for medium.
Procedure for the Goat Cheese Potato Croquette:
- Cook potatoes in chicken stock and mash, add corn starch, egg, chives and season with salt and pepper, set aside and let cool off.
- Fold goat cheese crumbles and form 3oz. round croquettes
- Roll in more corn starch and deep fry for 3 minutes until golden brown.
Procedure for Ajvar Sauce:
- Split the eggplant in half lengthwise, score the inside of it and season with salt and pepper. Place both halves in a baking sheet pan and roast for 45 minutes at 350f. Pull out of the oven and scrape the eggplant pulp of the skin and set aside.
- Cut onions and peppers in large dices, toss in olive oil and season with salt and peppe, add garlic cloves and roast in the oven for 20 minutes @ 375f.
- In a blender, puree all the vegetables adding olive oil slowly until a smooth bright red thick sauce is achieved. Sauce could be served cold or hot.
Procedure for Tomato Confit:
- Place tomatoes in a hotel pan cover with oil, season with salt and pepper, crush garlic cloves and add to the pan as well as the herbs.
- Cook in the oven @ 325f for 45 minutes set aside and let them cool off.
