- 8 lamb chops, French trimmed
- 75g/3oz butter
- 75g/3oz mixed wild mushrooms, sliced
- 150g/5oz boneless and skinless chicken breast, roughly chopped
- 75ml/3floz double cream
- 2 sprigs fresh thyme, leaves picked
- 110g/4oz pig’s caul (available from good butchers)
- 500ml/18floz veal jus
- 300ml/11floz red wine
- 3 large white potatoes, peeled
- 75g/3oz butter
- 1 bunch baby turnips
- 1 sprig fresh thyme
- pinch sugar
- 50-75ml/2-3floz water
- 2 bunches baby carrots, trimmed
- 1 bunch fine asparagus
- 2 tbsp chopped fresh chervil
- For the lamb, preheat the oven to 200C/400F/Gas 6.
- Season with the lamb with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
- Heat a frying pan until hot, add 25g/1oz of the butter and the mushrooms and cook for 1-2 minutes, or until just wilted. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper, then remove them from the pan and chop roughly.
- Blend the chicken breast and cream in a food processor to a thick purée. Stir in the chopped mushrooms and half of the thyme. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper and spoon the mixture into a piping bag fitted with a large plain nozzle.
- Pipe the mixture over the lamb chops, then cover them with the caul. Chill in the fridge for 30 minutes.
- Heat an ovenproof frying pan until hot, and fry the lamb for one minute on each side. Transfer the lamb to the oven and roast for 4-5 minutes (for medium) or until cooked to your liking. Remove the pan from the oven and set aside to rest for five minutes.
- Heat the veal jus and remaining thyme in a saucepan until boiling, then reduce the heat and simmer until the volume of the liquid has reduced by half. Add the red wine and continue to simmer until the volume of the liquid has reduced by half again. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
- Using a parisienne scoop, scoop small balls out of the potatoes.
- Heat a frying pan until hot, add the remaining 50g/2oz butter and potatoes and fry for 4-5 minutes, or until just golden and tender.
- For the baby vegetables, heat a frying pan until hot, add the butter, turnips, thyme, sugar and water and cook for 4-5 minutes, or just tender and the liquid has reduced slightly. Add the carrots and asparagus and continue to cook until they are tender and the liquid has reduced to a glaze. Stir in the chervil and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
- To serve, spoon the potatoes and vegetables in a line down one side of the plate, place two lamb chops on the other side and finish with a drizzle of the jus.