Crown of Lamb

Directions

1. Your butcher will likely have tied the lamb racks together at two points. Untie one of the strings, opening the lamb. Season the lamb on all sides with salt.

2. Place 150g (5.29 oz) charcoal on the charcoal grid and press the fast-flame ignition (which is a self-timer of 7 minutes). Leave the hood open for an additional 15 minutes. With both cast iron grills in place, brown the lamb evenly on all sides. Remove and set aside to cool completely. Once cool enough to handle, re-tie the crown just as your butcher prepared it.

3. In the meantime, place the riser grill (topped with teppanyaki plate on top of one of the cast iron grills). Place the crown in the centre. This will allow air to circulate around the meat over an indirect heat source, permitting the lamb to be cooked slowly resulting in a blush pink colour. Insert the meat probe into the thickest part of the crown and close the hood of the 4K, shutting both air valves.

4. The 4K should reach 115°C (239°F) after approximately 15 minutes. Maintain this temperature until the meat probe reads 58°C (136.4°F), this takes approximately 1 hour. (If the temperature inside the 4K drops slightly, open the top and bottom valves to setting 3 for 2-3 minutes which should increase the temperature). Once at temperature, remove the crown and rest over a cooling rack placed over a tray for 8 minutes.

5. In the meantime, make the smoky bacon mustard gravy. Place the lamb stock into a pan and reduce by half over moderate heat. In a separate pan, add half the pancetta lardons, half the sliced shallots and the garlic. Cook over moderate heat until caramelised. Add the mixture along with all rendered fat into the reduced lamb stock. Further reduce the mixture to 300g (10.58oz), then strain the sauce, discarding the lardons and onions. Roughly chop the parsley and add to the sauce along with the thyme and sage leaves and leave to stand for 5 minutes to infuse. Strain the sauce a second time, discarding the herbs and place into a clean pan. Whisk in the mustard and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper, and a squeeze of fresh lemon juice. Keep warm until serving.

6. To cook the peas, melt the butter in a pan over moderate heat. Once foaming, add the remaining shallots and cook until softened. Add the remaining pancetta lardons and cook until golden and crispy. Add the peas and reduce the heat. Gently warm the peas for approximately 3 minutes and season the mixture with salt and freshly ground black pepper and a squeeze of fresh lemon juice. Finely chop the mint leaves and stir through just before serving.
7. To serve, place the rested crown onto a serving plate and fill the cavity with the warm peas. Serve with the gravy alongside.