Duo of lamb, with white bean and wild mushroom 'cassoulet', wilted rocket and onion purée

Preparation method

1. For the sauce, place half the chopped vegetables into a pan with some olive oil and fry until browned all over and caramelised. Add a sprig of rosemary, three sprigs of thyme and the lamb stock and cook until the volume of the liquid is reduced by half.

2. Place the wine into another pan and boil rapidly until the volume of the liquid is reduced by half. Then add to the lamb stock and simmer to reduce by half once more until thickened. Strain the sauce through a fine sieve and keep warm until serving.

3. Add the remainder of the vegetables and herbs to another pot, cover with water and make a vegetable stock by simmering for 45 minutes. Use the vegetable stock in the mushroom cassoulet.

4. Preheat oven to 180C/350F/Gas 4.

5. For the onion purée, wrap the onion halves in foil and roast in the oven for 30 minutes or until soft. When cooked, purée in the blender, season and pass. Pour into a small pan and set to one side.

6. For the lamb, place the pieces of lamb cannon in a vacuum pack bag with 50ml/2fl oz of olive oil, half a clove of garlic, a sprig of rosemary and two sprigs of thyme and seal. Repeat the same process with the lamb rack.

7. Place packs of lamb into a temperature-controlled water bath set at 60C/140Fand cook for 14 minutes.

8. Remove the rack first. Season with salt and pepper, to taste, and fry in a pan with 25g/1oz butter and olive oil for a further two minutes, or until browned all over. Then remove and allow to rest for five minutes.

9. Remove the cannon from its vacuum pack bag, season with salt and pepper and fry with 25g/1oz butter and olive oil until browned all over. Then remove and allow to rest for three minutes.

10. For the wild mushroom cassoulet, add 10ml/½fl oz olive oil and 20g/1oz of butter to a hot frying pan. When the butter has turned nut brown, add each type of mushroom separately and fry for five minutes. Then remove the mushrooms with a slotted spoon and set aside, repeat with the rest of the mushrooms.

11. Add some olive oil to a pan and gently fry the chopped shallot and garlic. Add the white wine and simmer until the volume of the liquid is reduced by half. Then add 200ml/7fl oz vegetable stock and simmer to reduce by half again. Add the rinsed cannellini beans and cook for three minutes. Then add the mushroom and cream and simmer until a syrupy consistency. Season, to taste, with salt and freshly ground black pepper, and finish with chopped parsley.

12. For the wilted rocket, add some butter and salt and pepper to a hot frying pan, then add the rocket and cook until wilted. Remove from the heat and drain.

13. To serve, divide the cassoulet among four bowls and keep warm. Carve both the rack and cannon of lamb. Spread the onion purée onto the plate and place the wilted rocket on top. Arrange the lamb on top of the purée with the cannon resting on the rocket. Add the bowl of cassoulet to the plate and serve.

30 mins to 1 hour preparation time

Over 2 hours cooking time

Serves 4