Roasted Lamb Loin
Puy Lentil & Baby Spinach Salad, Spiced Cabernet Reduction
Serves 4
Pair with our Kelleher Cabernet Sauvignon
For The Lamb Loin:
4 ea. 7 oz. cleaned lamb loins
¼ cup blended oil (canola-olive)
Salt and ground black pepper
For The Cabernet Reduction:
3 cups Cabernet Sauvignon - Preferably Kelleher Cabernet Sauvignon
5 black peppercorns
1 star anise
5 cloves
Method For The Reduction:
Add the wine & spices to a heavy bottomed sauce pan and reduce the wine over medium heat until it reaches syrup consistency. Pass the reduction through a fine mesh strainer to remove the spices and discard. Cool the reduction to room temperature.
For The Red Wine Vinaigrette:
2 cups cabernet sauvignon, reduced by ¾
½ cups red wine vinegar
1½ cups blended oil
Salt, sugar and ground white pepper, to taste
Method For The Red Wine Vinaigrette:
In a mixing bowl, combine the blended oil and red wine vinegar with a wire whisk. Season to taste with the salt, pepper and sugar. Gently whisk in the red wine reduction, avoiding emulsifying it into the vinaigrette.
For The Puy Lentil And Spinach Salad:
2 cups Puy lentils
1 medium leek, small diced
1 medium carrot, small diced
1-2 celery stalks, small diced
2 cups baby spinach
2 tablespoons blended oil
3 tablespoons chopped fines herbs (equal parts chervil, chives, tarragon & parsley)
Method For The Puy Lentils And Spinach:
Wash and cover the lentils with water and slowly bring them to a simmer in a medium sauce pan. Add additional water if needed and cook them until about ¾ done. Add salt to the water until salty as the sea. Continue cooking the lentils until tender. Drain the lentils and cool. Slowly sauté the leeks, celery and carrots in a sauté pan over medium-low heat with the blended oil until soft, about five minutes. Remove from the pan & cool down completely. Mix the lentils, vegetables, spinach & mixed herbs with the red wine vinaigrette & season with salt and pepper.
To Plate:
Heavily season the lamb loins with salt and black pepper while heating a sauté pan over medium-high heat. When the pan is hot, add the blended oil and wait until almost smoking and carefully add the lamb loins, searing on all sides until brown, finishing to the desired temperature in the oven if necessary. Remove the lamb from the pan and rest on a wire rack for at least 5 minutes before serving. Spoon the lentil mixture onto the center of the plate, spoon the red wine reduction around the lentils and slice and arrange the lamb.