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A Magazine for Sheffield

New Year’s Food Resolutions

SERVED ON TOAST WITH SMOKED CURD CHEESE, CAPERS & WHITE ANCHOVIES
RECIPE BY RUTLAND ARMS CHEF, RICO

To give lamb breast it's moment of glory, this recipe really needs a slow cooker. If you don't have one, go out and get yourself one. They can be had for cheap and have so many uses.

Buy as much lamb breast as you can pack into your slow cooker and cover with a neutral oil like sunflower oil. Set the thermostat to the lowest setting and leave to confit for at least 24 hours. The slow cooking will render the fat from the meat, leaving you with a delicious byproduct that you can store in the fridge, covered with a layer of salt.

When the meat is fully cooked, you should be able to push a spoon through it, so very carefully lift it from the oil and cool on a wire rack suspended over a tray. When cool enough to handle, simply pull away the meat from the bones and spread on a tray, then freeze for ten minutes. This cooling will set the meat and make it easier to deal with.

Place your sheet of lamb on a board and roughly chop. At this point the hard work is over. Anything you don't need immediately can be bagged up and frozen. Press the bags flat so that they will defrost in moments in warm water.

This sauce is based on the traditional flavours of Sichuanese twice-cooked pork, with a couple of modifications. It calls for equal quantities of Hoi Sin sauce and fermented broad bean paste (Hong Yu Du Ban). It will be quite thick, so let it down with soy sauce (ideally Shibanuma 18 month, available from Oisoi in the city centre) and balsamic vinegar.

In a very lightly oiled pan or wok, cook as much lamb as you desire over a high flame. Because it is still quite fatty and has a high surface area, it will crisp up and colour very quickly. Off the heat, toss in a dollop of sauce and mix until everything is combined and smelling seriously awesome. This is really too good to put onto toasted triangles of sliced white, but we don't all have an artisan spelt bâtard to hand...

Finish it with smoked curd cheese, capers and white anchovies, adding a few textures and tastes that complement the lamb. If this recipe doesn't convince you to go out and get a slow cooker, there are so many more possibilities.

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SERVES 4 (GENEROUSLY)
RECIPE BY ROS ARKSEY

1.2kg belly pork, rolled
Zest of 1 lemon
Pinch of sea salt
1 black garlic bulb, peeled
1 tbsp fennel seeds
1 tbsp rapeseed oil
To be added to the roasting tray with the meat:
1 bay leaf
Half a lemon

Put the garlic, salt, lemon zest, oil and fennel seeds into a mortar and give everything a good bashing with the pestle so you have a paste.

Massage the marinade into the pork so it is well coated all over, leaving it skin side up. Cover and place the pork in the fridge for a few hours or overnight.

When you are ready to cook, get the pork to room temperature and preheat the oven to 180°C. Add the bay leaf and lemon to the baking dish together with the meat and cover with foil.

Roast for two and a half hours and then raise the temperature to 200°C for the last 30 minutes, taking the foil off to give the crackling a decent finish. Cook until the meat is tender and comes away easily when prodded with a fork.

Leave to rest for 15-20 minutes and then carve into slices. Serve with roast potatoes, sprouting broccoli and a chilli spiced apple sauce.

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