Selle d’Agneau de Lait Édouard Vii

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •Boning knife, if the butcher has not prepared the saddle
• •Trussing needle and unwaxed kitchen twine
• •Clean cotton muslin
• •5 to 6-quart snug oval casserole
• •Thin-probe digital thermometer
• •Fine-mesh sieve
• •1½-quart oval Terrine à Pâté or close-fitting ceramic loaf terrine
• •Large vessel for an ice-water bath

Instructions

1. 1

   Prepare the saddle

   Lay the boned saddle meat-side down in the fully chilled Cooked Marinade for Venison (No. 168) for twenty minutes, keeping the intact outer fat cover above the liquid. Lift it out, drain it well, and dry every surface. Milk-fed lamb needs the marinade’s perfume, not a long acidic treatment intended for game. Open the saddle outer-side down and season its inner surface with 2 teaspoons of the salt and half the white pepper.

   Have the butcher bone from underneath and leave the outer cover whole. A saddle split through the back cannot be reconstructed into the smooth, close parcel this dish requires.
2. 2

   Truffle the foie

   Make narrow incisions along the cold foie gras and insert the truffle batons, distributing them so every finished slice catches some black truffle. Season with the remaining salt and white pepper, place the foie in a close-fitting dish, and pour over the Marsala. Cover and chill for two hours, turning twice. Lift out the foie, blot its surface gently, and reserve every drop of Marsala for the poaching liquor.

3. 3

   Reconstruct the saddle

   Set the foie lengthwise down the middle of the opened saddle. Bring the lamb flaps closely around it, restoring the saddle’s original rounded shape without crushing the foie. Sew the underside with a trussing needle and kitchen twine, then tie crosswise at 1-inch intervals. If the meat tears, cover the opening with a thin lamb trimming and bind it under the next loop of twine. Ça se rattrape. What matters is a closed parcel with no route for the softening foie to escape.

4. 4

   Wrap in muslin

   Roll the reconstructed saddle tightly in a double thickness of clean muslin, folding the ends inward before tying them securely. The muslin replaces the restraining hands of the brigade: it keeps the saddle’s shape, holds the seam shut, and prevents the outer meat from loosening in the liquor. The wrap should be close and firm, never tight enough to squeeze the foie out.

5. 5

   Build the poaching bed

   Arrange the bacon rind prepared through Blanchings (No. 273) across the bottom of a snug oval casserole, making a complete protective bed. Bloom 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon of the gelatin in ½ cup of the cold veal stock, then combine it with the remaining stock and warm gently until dissolved. Reserve the final teaspoon of gelatin. Add the Marsala from the foie marinade and bring the liquor to 82 to 85°C, or 180 to 185°F. Do not remove any surface fat.

6. 6

   Poach without boiling

   Lower the wrapped saddle onto the bacon rind and add hot water only if the liquor does not cover it by about ½ inch. Lay a parchment cartouche over the surface and use a small heatproof plate to keep the saddle submerged. Hold the liquor between 82 and 85°C, or 180 and 185°F, with only an occasional movement at the surface. Begin checking after forty-five minutes by passing a thin thermometer through the underside seam into the center of the foie gras. Continue until the center reaches 70°C, or 158°F, and remains there for two minutes, usually fifty to sixty-five minutes in all. If the liquor boils, lift the casserole off the heat and add a ladle of cool stock or water before continuing gently. Ça se rattrape. Boiling, not extra time, is what renders away the foie and toughens the lamb.

7. 7

   Set in the terrine

   Lift the saddle carefully and rest it for five minutes, then remove the muslin while it is still warm. Place the saddle seam-side down in an oval Terrine à Pâté just large enough to hold it. Strain the hot cooking liquor over the saddle without degreasing it; the natural fat must remain because it seals the surface while the gelatin-rich liquor sets. If the saddle tries to float, hold it down with parchment and a small saucer until the liquor begins to thicken.

8. 8

   Chill and set

   Set the terrine in a larger vessel of ice water and cool it promptly, changing the ice as it melts. Move it to the refrigerator within an hour, cover loosely, and chill for at least twelve hours, until the liquor forms a tender amber jelly and the saddle is cold to its center. If the liquor remains loose after six hours, lift out the saddle, warm 2 cups of the liquor, dissolve the reserved teaspoon of gelatin in it, and strain it back over the meat before chilling again. Ça se rattrape.

9. 9

   Clear and serve

   When the saddle is completely cold, remove the saucer and parchment and lift away the firm fat with a spoon. Dip the spoon in boiling water, dry it, and pass its warm bowl lightly over any remaining film. This gives the clean surface once achieved with a boiling-water rinse, without washing flavor from the jelly. Wipe the rim, leave the saddle in its terrine, and serve it very cold. Cut generous crosswise slices so the lamb, foie gras, and black truffle show together. À table!

Chef Tips

• •Order the milk-fed lamb saddle and bacon rind in advance. Ask for the saddle boned from underneath with the outer fat cover untouched, and take the bones home for stock; that request matters more than any decorative flourish.
• •Fresh black truffle is the ideal when its season meets your dinner. At another time, use a good whole preserved black truffle, drained and cut into batons. Truffle oil cannot make the same pockets of aroma inside the foie.
• •A thin digital probe is essential. Enter through the sewn underside so the presentation remains unmarked, and make certain the tip reaches the foie rather than stopping in the surrounding lamb.
• •Use the smallest casserole and terrine that accept the saddle without bending it. A loose vessel demands excessive stock, weakens the jelly, and leaves the meat knocking about during poaching.
• •Serve with a mature red Burgundy whose tannin has softened, or a restrained demi-sec Champagne. The dish is already rich with foie gras and Marsala, so the glass should refresh rather than compete.

Advance Preparation

• •Prepare the Cooked Marinade for Venison (No. 168) separately and chill it completely before the lamb touches it. The referenced preparation keeps well under refrigeration, so this can be done ahead.
• •Poach and set the saddle the day before serving. The full night in the cold is part of the method, giving the jelly time to set and the reconstructed saddle time to become cleanly sliceable.
• •Clear away the fat and clean the terrine rim several hours before dinner, then cover and return it to the refrigerator. Keep the finished dish at or below 4°C, or 40°F, and serve within three days of poaching.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 305g)