Loins of lamb with fruit

Recipe provided by the Contrada di Voltaia, winner of the “A tavola con il Nobile” 2012 edition

Ingredients

• 600 g. loins of lamb (local if possible)

• fruit (dried figs, almonds, sultanas)

• pork caul

• 1 glass fresh sheep’s milk

• 1 eggplant

• 2 glasses Vino Nobile di Montepulciano

• 1/2 glass extra virgin olive oil

• 1 red onion

• basil

• garlic

• a little sugar

• grated zest of 1 orange

• cinnamon

• salt and pepper

Method: Clean the lamb. Blend the fruit and almonds in a liquidizer and form them into a cylinder shape. Prepare the curds by bringing the sheep’s milk to the boil at 38° and waiting until it thickens, stirring well. Place in the fridge.

Prepare the eggplant cream: add the oil, onion and diced eggplant to a frying pan, add a pinch of sugar and caramelize. Pour in the Vino Nobile, simmer and then liquify and add the orange zest to obtain a cream.

Make the reduction in a pan: pour in Vino Nobile with sugar, orange zest and cinnamon, simmer slowly to reduce by half then turn off heat and allow to cool.
Cut the lamb’s loins into cutlets and cook on both sides in olive oil, adding salt and pepper to taste.

Stretch out the pork caul and lay the lamb’s loins on top with a slice of dried fruit mixture. Fold over the pork caul and cook in the over for ten minutes. Arrange the cutlets on a serving dish and drizzle with the eggplant cream a few cubes of curd and the Vino Nobile reduction. Sprinle with freshly ground black pepper. The recipe serves 4 people.

Source: Consorzio del Vino Nobile di Montepulciano