As I progressed through this amazing journey in my culinary career, I hold on proudly to my rich heritage and culture.

Here is a recipe incorporating my love for fine dining but combining my love for offal with the touch of some Indian cuisine. This is a dish I entered into the Chef of Year 2017 and got me into the top 6 National finals.

Study of Lamb – Lamb Loin with Lamb Trotter Pie and Lamb Brain Tortellini accompanied by Butternut Puree and Seasonal Vegetables.

Ingredients

• 80g Lamb Loin
• 50g Lamb Brain
• 50g Lamb Trotter Meat (Boiled)
• 1 Poppadum
• 20g Butternut
• 10g Baby Carrots
• 10g Baby Beetroot
• 10g Wild Mushroom
• 50g Puff Pastry Sheet
• 5g Green Peppercorn
• 20g Onion
• 30g Garlic Paste
• 100ml Tinned Tomato
• 25ml Jus Powder
• 30g Micro Shoots
• 50ml Cream
• 10g Curry Powder
• 1 Large Egg
• 50g Flour
• 10ml Cold Water

Method:

• In a large bowl add flour and salt and pepper, add the egg and mix well together until dough forms a ball, work the dough on a flat surface, and knee the dough well until combined and soft and firm. Place the dough in a bowl and rest for 30 minutes.
• Wash and rinse the lamb brains, heat the  pan and sauté, ginger, garlic, onion and curry powder, until spice its cooked add the brains and stir well add seasoning, pour cream and let simmer until sauce thickens and brains fully cooked.
• Roll pasta out with a machine and cut in desired round disk, place lamb filling on the pasta disk in the center and fold close tightly into tortellini shapes
• Sautee onion in butter with garlic, add the tinned tomato, season and allow to simmer. Remove from heat and set aside.
• Sautee onion in butter with garlic, add curry powder and fry off the spice. Add tomato and the cooked trotter meat. Season and allow to simmer.
• Place pastry sheet in a lined mini loaf tin, spoon in the trotter filling. Close off the pie with remaining pastry. Egg wash and bake in oven at 180 degrees for 25 minutes.
• Season the loin with salt and pepper and butter, pan fry and set aside.
• Mix together the jus powder and hot water.
• In the pan with the lamb juices, sautee the mushrooms and green peppercorn, deglaze the pan with the jus mix.
• Steam the vegetables and sautee in butter and season.
• Deep fry the poppadum and crush into bits.
• On the plate, smear the butternut puree. Arrange the vegetables, place the loin in the centre. Place the pie and tortellini on either side. Spoon the tomato sauce over the tortellini and the peppercorn jus over the loin. Arrange the poppadum bits in a line and finish off with the micro shoots.