Ingredients

Pecan tuile:

• 100 g pecan nuts
• 50 g mozzarella
• 100 g flour
• 125 g butter
• 150 g egg white

Lamb shanks:

• a little oil
• 4 lamb shanks
• 300 ml red wine
• 2 carrots, diced
• 1 leek, diced
• 1 onion, diced
• 8 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 bunch herbs -- rosemary, bay and thyme
• ZESPRI Kiwifruit Relish
• 30 ml olive oil
• 3 cloves garlic
• 1 red onion diced
• 6 ZESPRI GOLD Kiwifruit, peeled and diced
• 1 green chilli, sliced
• 30 ml vinegar
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• 1 piece green ginger, grated

Lamb racks

• 4 lamb racks
• 50 g breadcrumbs
• 25 g Parmesan cheese, finely grated
• 1 bunch herbs - chervil, thyme and parsley

Garnish

• 3 potatoes
• 50 ml cream

Method

Pecan Tuile: Process the pecan nuts in a food processor with the flour and mozzarella until it resembles fine breadcrumbs. Add the softened butter and the egg whites, then pulse until a smooth batter is formed. Let the mix rest for 20 minutes.

Cut a rectangular stencil 9 cm x 22 cm out of a plastic lid. Place the stencil on a baking sheet lined with a silipat mat or baking paper, spread a layer of tuile mix in the stencil, spreading evenly. Lift the stencil off and repeat (the mix will make 8 tuiles). Bake at 200 degrees Celsius in a pre-heated oven for 5 minutes, Remove from the oven and roll around a 5 cm diameter steel tube, sealing the join with a little of the tuile mix; then return to the oven for a further 10 minutes until the rings are crisp. Remove the rings from the steel tubes and store till required.

Lamb Shanks: Season the lamb shanks then brown in oil, place in a casserole dish, add the herbs and red wine and enough water to cover the shanks. Place in an oven at 150 degrees Celsius and bake for 1 hour. Saute the vegetables in a little oil and add to the shanks, then cook for a further hour and a half, or until the meat is almost falling off the bone. Remove the meat from the bone, cut into small pieces and add to the braised vegetables with enough cooking liquid to moisten.

Kiwifruit Relish: Sweat the onion, chilli and garlic with the olive oil, add the grated ginger, vinegar, sugar and the kiwifruit, then simmer for 10 minutes.

Garnish: Cut the potatoes into teardrop shapes then slice very thinly, laying the petals overlapping like a flower on a baking tray lined with silicon paper. Brush the flowers with a little oil, lay another sheet of silicon paper on top and weigh down with another baking tray. Bake at 140 degrees Celsius for 50 minutes, or until golden and crisp. Cook the off-cuts of potato and mash with cream.

Lamb Racks: Process the herbs with the breadcrumbs and Parmesan. Press the herb mix onto the lamb racks and bake at 180 degrees Celsius for 15 minutes till medium rare.

Assembly: Place a spoon of potato mash on the plate, sit a tuile ring on top and fill the ring with the braised lamb shank and vegetable mix. Top with a little more potato and a potato crisp. Spoon the kiwifruit relish on and place the sliced lamb racks next to the mini Shepherd's pie.

This recipe was provided by Zespri International.