- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 garlic clove, finely chopped
- 2 x 225g/8oz lamb leg steaks
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 250g/9oz unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 1 tsp anchovy essence
- 1 lemon, zest only
- 6 fresh anchovies, drained of oil and chopped
- 750g/1lb 10oz salsify
- 2 lemons, juice only
- 1.5 litres/2½ pints cold water
- 25g/1oz plain flour
- 1 tsp salt
- 75g/3oz walnut halves
- 1 tbsp clarified butter
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 tbsp walnut oil
- 1 tbsp sultanas, soaked overnight in enough brandy to cover
- ½ tsp caster sugar
- 1 tbsp sherry vinegar
- 25g/1oz unsalted butter
- 2 tbsp chopped flatleaf parsley, to serve
- For the lamb, rub the oil and garlic onto the steaks. Place them in a bowl, cover and leave in the fridge for at least six hours.
- A quarter of an hour or so before you are ready to cook, remove the lamb from the fridge and bring back to room temperature.
- Heat a griddle pan until hot. Place the steaks on the griddle and cook for 3-4 minutes on both sides. Remove the steaks from the pan, season with salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste, and set aside in a warm place to rest.
- For the anchovy butter, place the butter into a bowl and add the anchovy essence, lemon zest and chopped anchovies and mix to combine.
- Place the butter mixture onto a sheet of cling film or baking parchment laid out on a clean work surface, and roll into a log.
- Place the prepared butter log in the fridge and leave to chill until firm.
- For the salsify, fill a bowl with water and add half the lemon juice. Peel the salsify and slice into 5cm/2in pieces and immediately place the salsify in the bowl (to stop it from discolouring).
- Meanwhile, combine a splash of the 1.5 litres/2½ pints water with the flour in a saucepan and stir to make a smooth paste.
- Add the remaining 1.5 litres/2½ pints water and lemon juice, along with the salt. Bring to a boil, whisking continuously. This mixture is called a 'blanc'.
- Drain the salsify and place it in the pan with the blanc.
- Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for 15 minutes until tender.
- Drain and rinse the salsify in cold water and pat dry.
- Heat a non-stick frying pan, add half of the clarified butter and then add the dry salsify.
- Season with a little salt and freshly ground black pepper and fry gently to colour and heat through. Place the remaining clarified butter in another frying pan, add the walnuts and place over a high heat for a couple of minutes. Be careful not to let the nuts burn.
- Add the sultanas, sugar and vinegar to the walnuts. The sugar will caramelise and the vinegar will reduce to a glaze.
- Remove from the heat and whisk in the unsalted butter. Season with salt and black pepper, to taste. Pour this mixture over the salsify and toss together.
- To serve, preheat the grill to hot. Remove the anchovy butter from the fridge and slice. Place a slice of butter over each lamb steak and place the lamb on a tray under the grill to melt the butter.
- Transfer the lamb steaks to two serving plates. Spoon the salsify alongside, garnish with chopped parsley and serve.