Rump Stakes

I met the chef John Torode once and, the circumstances being what they were, and with at least one glass of wine under my belt, I told him that I thought he was arrogant and rude. I was involved in a cooking demo he was giving and I also decided that he was a lightweight, a shallow celebrity chef who made his living cooking for rich Londoners and collecting a pay packet from Sir Terence Conran. (I didn't share these conclusions with him.)

John, I’m sorry. I thought you were glib. I thought you were rude. I thought you were mightily pleased with yourself. And maybe you were. But I’m really loving your recipes. Tonight I tried yet another one from your Mezzo book, and again, it was brilliant. As ever, my recipe search was about looking for something light—as in low in fat and carbs but high, high in flavour.

I found your Marinated Rump of Lamb with Sweet Potato Mash. The fat content: whatever the lamb rump might have contained (the rump has more fat than lamb fillet, but beats fillet in flavour and succulence stakes); a bit of vegetable oil for a marinade; whatever carbs might be in the sweet potato; and whatever was in the salad I plonked by the side, which included avocado and some macadmia nut oil. Last night, I got the marinade going. When I got home from work tonight, I thrust a rather large sweet potato in the oven. About 200 degrees, just sitting on the oven rack. I couldn’t believe how fast it cooked: it seemed to be in there for only about 30 minutes before it started to split and ooze, and the flesh just under the skin had started to caramelise beautifully. Meanwhile, the marinade aroma was wafting through the kitchen, a heady, promising mix of spices that had been so easy to pound in the mortar and pestle the night before.

I’m no butcher, but from what I can gather, the rump is the cut between the mid-loin and the topside and thick flank. And, as my new friend John Torode says, this is an excellent barbecue recipe.

Marinated Rump of Lamb, Sweet Potato Mash

2 rumps of lamb (about 425g each)

4 red chillies, deseeded

4 tbsp coriander leaves

2 tsp ground cinnamon

1 tsp cardomom pods

1 tsp cloves

2 tsp black peppercorns

1 tsp turmeric

2 garlic cloves

2 tsp sea salt

250ml (1 cup) plain yoghurt

1 tbsp vegetable oil

1kg sweet potatoes

sea salt

freshly ground black pepper

2tbsp lemon juice

1tbsp vegetable oil

Olive oil for drizzling

1 lemon, quartered

The day before: Score the fat of the lamb in a criss-cross pattern and set aside. (Your lamb rumps may not have a layer of fat to allow you to do this—mine didn't.) Place the chillies, half the coriander leaves, the cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, black peppercorns, turmeric, garlic and salt in a mortar and pestle and pound to a paste consistency. (John suggests a blender or food processor but a big strong mortar and pestle will do the job just as well, although a larger quantity might be more challenging to pound.) Transfer to a shallow bowl and stir in the yoghurt and oil. Spoon the mixture over the lamb, rubbing well to cover all the meat, and set aside for 24 hours.

On the day: Preheat oven to 180 degrees. Bake the sweet potato(es) for 40-50 minutes, until soft. Allow to cool slightly, then peel and mash until smooth. Season well and mix in the lemon juice. Keep warm. When ready to cook the lamb, preheat the oven to 200 degrees. Brush a heated griddle or heavy-bottomed frying pan with the oil and sear the lamb, fat-side down, for five minutes. Turn and repeat on the underside. Transfer the lamb to an oven dish and roast for 15-20 minutes, until just cooked through but still pink inside. Remove from oven and leave to rest for five minutes, then slice each rump into six slices. Pile a mound of sweet potato mash in the centre of each plate and lay three slices of lamb on the top. Drizzle a little olive oil around the outside, and serve with wedges of lemon. Serves 4.

 

Comments

[Robin Cowcher]

Love your choice of recipes and the the lowdown on Hedi, I'd love to know what he eats too...maybe he's one of those folk who eat air, called Breathairians or some thing like that. Robin