Saddle & shoulder of local lamb "Anchovies - Olives" & the last tomatoes

Ingredients for 8 persons

1 saddle of lamb (trimmed - fat removed), 1 shoulder of lamb (trimmed - fat removed), 2 preserved lemons, 1kg 2 ripe tomatoes, 2 dl lamb jus (or veal jus), 4 tablespoons chopped green & black olives, 6 anchovy fillets in brine. Olive oil, butter, chopped shallots, Espelette chilli pepper, fresh ginger, salt, pepper, sugar.

Preparation

Season the shoulder of lamb, brown in a casserole dish in butter and olive oil, add the preserved lemons and chopped ginger, add plenty of water and cook in a medium oven (150°), covered, for around 4 hours.

Remove from the oven, leave to cool, then remove the flesh and keep warm.

Cut the tomatoes into 4, remove the seeds, fry the shallots in butter, add the tomatoes (salt, pepper and a pinch of sugar) and simmer until the water has evaporated and the tomatoes have a nice compote consistency.

Season the saddle with salt and Espelette pepper, brown well in the butter and finish in the oven at high temperature (220° - approx. 15/20 min) leave to rest, then remove the fillets and the filet mignon, slice and divide between the plates, form a quenelle from the flesh of the shoulders and spoon out, arrange the tomato compote in a circle,

Degrease the baking dish and deglaze with the lamb jus, add the olives then the finely chopped anchovies and sauce the plates.

And... Enjoy !

Thanks to Jean-Paul Lecroq, chief of the restaurant Ousta-Maï, for the recipe.

The right address: Restaurant @Ousta-Maï, 11 Rue des Pins, 30700 Saint-Maximin. Tel: 04 66 68 03 88.