Epigrammes d’Agneau

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •3-quart (2.8 L) heavy casserole with lid
• •Two small rimmed trays, parchment paper, and an evenly distributed 2-pound (900 g) weight
• •3-inch (7.5 cm) heart cutter or paper template and sharp knife
• •12-inch (30 cm) heavy skillet
• •Wire rack set over a tray
• •Instant-read thermometer

Instructions

1. 1

   Braise the breast

   Heat the oven to 325°F (165°C). Season the lamb breast with 1 teaspoon of the salt and ½ teaspoon of the pepper. Melt 1 tablespoon of the butter in a small heavy casserole over medium heat, then brown the breast on both sides until its surface is richly golden. Lift it out, add the onion and carrot, and cook until their edges colour. Return the breast, add 2 cups (480 ml) of the stock and the bouquet garni, then cover tightly. Braise for 1 hour 30 minutes to 1 hour 45 minutes, until a skewer passes through the thickest part with little resistance but the layers still hold together. If it remains tough, give it another 15 minutes at the same gentle heat; a hard boil only tightens the meat.

2. 2

   Press it cold

   Lift the breast from the casserole and remove any overlooked cartilage while it is warm. Strain and reserve the braising liquid; the stock has gathered the lamb’s fond and should be chilled and defatted for another sauce or braise, never poured over the crisp finished coating. Lay the breast flat between two sheets of parchment on a rimmed tray, set a second tray over it, and add an evenly distributed 2-pound (900 g) weight. Let it cool for 20 minutes, then refrigerate under the weight for at least 1 hour 30 minutes. It must become cold, level, and firm. If it bends or frays when lifted, stop and press it in the cold for another 20 minutes. Ça se rattrape.

3. 3

   Braise the chicory

   While the breast chills, trim only the discoloured ends from the endives so their leaves remain attached. Leave small heads whole and halve any large ones lengthwise. Melt the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter in a shallow covered pan and turn the chicory in it until lightly golden. Add the remaining ½ cup (120 ml) stock, the lemon juice, sugar, and ½ teaspoon salt. Cover with a round of parchment and the lid, then braise in the 325°F (165°C) oven for 30 to 35 minutes, until a knife enters the bases easily. Uncover and reduce the liquid until it lightly glazes the leaves. If the chicory is tender while the liquid remains watery, lift it out before reducing, then roll it through the glaze at the end.

4. 4

   Shape the épigrammes

   Unweight the cold breast and blot both surfaces dry. With a 3-inch (7.5 cm) heart cutter, or a paper template and sharp knife, cut four hearts matching the visible size of the meat on each cutlet. Keep the hearts an even ¾ inch (2 cm) thick so they reheat before the crust darkens. Reserve the trimmings for a small lamb hash or folded omelette. Blot the cutlets dry and season them with the remaining salt and pepper. Dry surfaces matter here; moisture loosens the coat before the hot butter can set it.

5. 5

   Coat à l’anglaise

   Set a wire rack over a tray. Coat the four breast hearts and four cutlets completely with the prepared Anglaise (for Egg-and-bread-crumbing) (No. 174), keeping the cutlet bones clean and pressing the coating gently against every edge. Rest the coated pieces in the cold for 10 minutes so the covering settles into one continuous layer. If it slips or leaves a bare seam, the lamb is too warm or damp: blot the exposed place, chill the piece briefly, and apply a little more of the finished Anglaise preparation. Ça se rattrape.

6. 6

   Sauté the breast hearts

   Heat half the clarified butter in a 12-inch (30 cm) skillet over medium-high heat until it flows freely and reaches about 345°F (175°C). Sauté the breast hearts without crowding, 2 to 3 minutes per side, until their coats are crisp and evenly butter-gold and the centres are hot. Turn them only once, using a thin spatula rather than tongs that might pinch away the crust. Drain on the rack and hold uncovered in a 200°F (95°C) oven. Strain out any fallen crumbs before cooking the cutlets, then replenish the clarified butter as needed.

7. 7

   Sauté the cutlets

   Return the fat to about 345°F (175°C), then add the cutlets in one uncrowded layer. Sauté for 3 to 4 minutes per side, spooning a little hot clarified butter around the bone where the pan makes poor contact. Check through the side with an instant-read thermometer, avoiding the bone; remove the cutlets at about 140°F (60°C) and rest them for at least 3 minutes so they reach 145°F (63°C). If the coating darkens before the meat is ready, lower the heat and finish the cutlets in a 350°F (180°C) oven. Do not cover them, because trapped moisture softens the crust.

8. 8

   Build the ring

   Warm a large oval platter. Arrange the four cutlets and four breast hearts in an alternating circle, with the cutlet bones radiating outward and the points of the hearts facing inward. Gather the braised chicory in the centre and spoon its buttery glaze over the leaves only, keeping the crisp lamb coats dry. Serve at once, while the cutlets remain rosy and every crumb answers the fork. À table!

Chef Tips

• •Order the lamb breast from a butcher and ask for it boned in one flat piece. This is honest home-kitchen butchery, not a change to the dish. If only bone-in breast is available, buy about 2 pounds (900 g), braise it on the bone, and remove the bones while the meat is warm before pressing.
• •Clarified butter is still butter, with its water and milk solids removed so it can take the heat required for a crisp coat. Whole butter burns before eight pieces are properly browned; margarine brings nothing useful to this table.
• •Braised chicory gives the rich lamb a necessary bitter edge. In spring, the source permits a macédoine, a neat mixture of small early vegetables; use evenly diced carrots and turnips with peas and green beans, cooking each until tender but still distinct.
• •Serve a supple red Bordeaux or a Cabernet Franc from the Loire. The wine needs enough freshness for the buttery coating and enough structure for lamb, but no great weight.

Advance Preparation

• •The lamb breast can be braised, pressed, and chilled up to 2 days ahead. Keep it covered under light pressure, then cut the hearts while the meat is still thoroughly cold.
• •The chicory can be braised 1 day ahead. Refrigerate it in its cooking liquid, then reheat gently and reduce the liquid to a glaze before serving.
• •The Anglaise (for Egg-and-bread-crumbing) (No. 174) may be prepared earlier the same day and held cold according to its own entry. Apply it only after the breast is shaped and the chicory is ready.
• •Do not sauté the épigrammes ahead. Once cooked, the contrast between crisp coating, yielding breast, and rosy cutlet begins to fade.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 450g)