Roasted lamb sweetbreads with smoked bacon and onion sauce, potato rosti and spinach

Ingredients

For the roasted sweetbreads
150g/5½oz lamb sweetbreads, trimmed and membranes removed
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp ground turmeric
salt and freshly ground black pepper
For the smoked bacon and onion sauce
1 tbsp olive oil
2 smoked bacon rashers, chopped
½ onion, peeled and finely sliced
dash water
2 tsp sherry vinegar
pinch Chinese five spice powder
For the potato rösti
1 medium potato, peeled and grated
1 tbsp olive oil
salt and freshly ground black pepper
30g/1oz butter
For the spinach
1 tbsp olive oil
1 bacon rasher, chopped
½ onion, peeled and finely chopped
125g/4½oz baby leaf spinach
knob butter
salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 200C/400F/Gas 6.
2. For the roasted sweetbreads, place the trimmed sweetbreads into a pan of boiling water and cook for one minute. Drain and then rub with olive oil, dust with turmeric and season well with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Place on a roasting tray in the oven and roast for five minutes, or until the sweetbreads are cooked through.
3. For the smoked bacon and onion sauce, heat the olive oil in a frying pan, add the bacon and onion and fry over a gentle heat until the onion has softened. Add a dash of water, the sherry vinegar and five spice and simmer for five minutes. Set aside and keep warm.
4. For the potato rösti, place the grated potato into a clean tea towel and twist the towel to squeeze out the excess moisture. Heat the olive oil in a small frying pan, add the grated potato and season well with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Fry for four minutes, then add the butter down the edges of the rösti and fry for one minute. Turn the rösti over and fry for another 3-4 minutes, or until golden-brown. Remove with a slotted spatula and allow to drain slightly on kitchen paper.
5. For the spinach, heat the olive oil in a frying pan, add the bacon and onion and fry for 3-4 minutes. Add the spinach and butter and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Stir until wilted.
6. To serve, place the potato rösti onto a serving plate, top with a small mound of spinach and place the sweetbreads around the sides. Pour over the bacon and onion sauce and serve immediately.