Michelin Techniques for Lamb | The French Laundry***

lamb shoulder

🥗Healthier: chicken

💰Cheaper: pork shoulder

Chicken is lower in fat; pork shoulder is more affordable.

red wine

🥗Healthier: broth

💰Cheaper: apple cider vinegar

Broth adds flavor without alcohol; vinegar is a cost-effective alternative.

Discuss the quality of American lamb and its sourcing difficulties.

Trim the lamb by removing the flap of meat on top using fingers and a boning knife.

Cut along the bones to expose the silver skin and remove it carefully.

Flip the rack over and cut along the bones to remove feather bones.

Tie the bones with butcher twine, pulling the string to remove meat around the bones.

Portion lamb chops to weigh between four and five ounces, ideally two pounds or more.

Render the fat from the lamb trim by covering with water and cooking on medium low heat until water is gone.

Soak cranberry and marrow beans separately in one cup of filtered water overnight.

Remove floating bean shells and discard the water after soaking.

Add both beans to a pot, cover with cold water by two inches, and bring to a boil.

Remove any floating beans and shells, rinse under cold water, then add back to the pot with two ounces of stock.

Cut a two inch leek and carrot wedge, wrap in cheesecloth for easy removal later.

Bring beans to a simmer, removing any floating hard beans and shells, and simmer for an hour until tender.

Do not add salt while cooking, add it afterward.

Cook fava beans, yellow wax beans, and green beans separately in salted water until tender, then shock in an ice bath.

Cut green and wax beans on a bias and set aside.

Prepare tomatoes by blanching them until the skin cracks, then peel, quarter, and remove seeds.

Cut tomato flesh into long strips to create tomato diamonds.

Julienne carrots using a mandolin and cut into brunoise.

Do the same with a turnip or watermelon radish, and julienne the dark green parts of the leek.

Blanch each vegetable individually until tender, then shock in an ice bath.

Prepare rosemary oil by blanching one cup of rosemary leaves for 30 seconds, then adding two cups of parsley for an additional 10 seconds.

Stock herbs in an ice bath, squeeze out water, and blend with half a cup of oil until pureed.

Store rosemary oil in the fridge for 24 hours, then strain through cheesecloth.

For the lamb sauce, heat a large pan on high and add neutral oil and rendered lamb fat until smoking.

Add lamb bones and cook for 5 minutes until golden brown.

Deglaze the pan with one cup of water, scraping up the fond.

Add half a cup of chicken stock and cook until reduced.

Add mirepoix of five ounces of onion, five ounces of carrot, and four ounces of leek to the pan, cooking until caramelized.

Add half an ounce of thyme, six ounces of chopped tomato, and two crushed garlic cloves, cooking until tomato liquid evaporates.

Add 16 ounces of water, 16 ounces of chicken stock, and 16 ounces of veal stock (or chicken juice).

Bring to a simmer and skim off impurities, simmering for 30 to 45 minutes.

Double strain the liquid to remove particles, aiming for about 16 ounces or 2 cups of liquid, then reduce by half.

Cooking Techniques

Equipment Needed

Spice Level:

Dietary