Hay-Smoked Lamb Rack with Crushed Potato Cakes and Sherry Gravy

by Leah Halmagyi

Ingredients

  • 2 x 8-bone lamb racks, French trimmed
  • sea salt flakes and freshly-ground black pepper
  • 2 Tbsp avocado oil
  • 4 cups organic oat hay
  • 4 medium potatoes, peeled and cooked
  • 1 Tbsp za-atar
  • 4 eggs
  • ½ cup plain flour
  • 2 cups multigrain breadcrumbs
  • vegetable oil for shallow frying
  • 1 cup dry sherry*
  • 500ml beef stock
  • 1 Tbsp potato starch
  • green beans, roasted truss tomatoes and green olive tapenade, to serve

Instructions

1 Season the lamb rack generously with salt and pepper, then rub with avocado oil. Place the hay in the bottom of a camp oven or heavy-based saucepan under a trivet and set over a moderate heat. Once smoking, arrange the lamb on top, then fit the lid. Cook for 25 minutes, until the lamb is medium.
2 Meanwhile, crush the potatoes with eh za-atar and 2 eggs, then form into four discs. Roll in flour, dip in the remaining beaten eggs, then coat thoroughly in breadcrumbs. Fry in hot (180°C) vegetable oil for 2 minutes each side, until golden. Drain on kitchen paper.
3 Pour the sherry and stock into a medium saucepan and boil rapidly over a high heat, until reduced by half. Dissolve the potato starch in 2 Tbsp water, whisk in, then dimmer until thickened. Carve the lamb and serve with potato cakes, gravy, beans, tomatoes and tapenade.