Japanese Lamb Shoulder with Pea and Wasabi

September 19, 2018

Kerby Craig uMe, sydney
Kerby Craig served this delectable lamb dish to me at Ume in 2012. High quality ingredients will make all the difference with this recipe, so look for a great, ethically raised local lamb shoulder from your butcher, top quality soy sauce such as Shibanuma, and fresh or frozen wasabi paste rather than the ordinary coloured radish paste or powder.
Note: Freezing the peas instead of precooking them ensures they retain their freshness. The technique was adapted from
Modernist Cuisine: The Art and Science of Cooking by Nathan Myhrvold and Chris Young (The Cooking Lab, 2011).
Time: 7 hours, includes 6 hours cooking time. Serves 4

Dashi stock
10 grams dried kombu
450ml filtered water
15 grams bonito flakes

In a pan, combine the kombu and filtered water, and leave to soak for 20 minutes. Bring to a temperature between 60-65⁰C/140-150⁰F (or until you can see a little steam), then remove from heat and set aside for 30 minutes. Discard the kombu and return pan to the stove. Bring the stock back to a simmer, then add the bonito flakes, and cook for 30 seconds. Strain, and chill.
(Alternatively, the dashi stock can be made with 1½ teaspoons of hon-dashi to 450ml of warm filtered water, stirring until dissolved. Chill.)

Lamb
300ml mirin
2.5kg boneless lamb shoulder
400ml dashi stock (from above)
200ml good quality soy sauce
150ml shiro dashi

Preheat a water bath to 88°C/190⁰F.
In a saucepan, reduce the mirin by half over medium heat. Chill. Place the lamb in a vacuum pouch with the remaining ingredients, and seal on high. Cook in the preheated water bath for 6 hours, then transfer the pouch to a cold water bath to bring it back to room temperature. Cut a corner off the pouch and drain the braising juices into a small pot. Bring the pot to a high simmer over medium heat, removing any fat that rises to the surface. Continue cooking, skimming regularly, until reduced to a tare (Japanese glaze).

Pea purée
150 grams fresh baby peas
(use frozen if out of season) 30 grams fresh or frozen wasabi
75 grams organic soy milk
50 grams water
3 grams sea salt flakes

Pod the fresh peas and place in an airtight container. Freeze.
When frozen, place the peas in a blender along with the remaining ingredients, and blend on high for 2 minutes. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

To serve
2 sushi (yaki) nori sheets
1 bunch red radishes shiso vinegar
yarrow leaves nasturtium leaves

Barbecue the lamb over a moderate flame, turning constantly until evenly coloured all over, then set aside to rest in a warm place. Slice the sushi nori into strips, then gently and repeatedly flap each strip over a medium barbecue flame until crisp, being careful not to let them burn. Wash and slice the radish paper-thin using a mandoline. Gently stir the pea and wasabi sauce to recombine.
Carve lamb shoulder into desired portions and brush with reduced braising juice tare. Dress the plate with the pea purée, then arrange the lamb on top, adding 1 teaspoon of shiso vinegar. Place a strip of sushi nori next to the lamb, and garnish with radish slices and the yarro and nasturtium leaves.

Recipe from – At Home With Sous Vide  By Dale Prentice