Lamb and chamomile

Lamb and chamomile

When Enrico Crippa opened the Piazza Duomo restaurant in Alba in the heart of the Langhe with the Ceretto family in 2005, he had already set aside a fundamental wealth of experience. His first teacher was the great Gualtiero Marchesi who at the time was at Bonvesin de la Riva and then at Erbusco. The second was the Spanish Ferran Adria, the champion of molecular cuisine.

Then finally, there were three years of Japanese specialization in Kobe and Osaka. Thus this chef with the goatee, in just 7 years, went from zero to three Michelin stars: The first came in 2006, the second in 2009, and the third in 2012; one every three years - A fast and extraordinary track record.

Bruno Vespa

The recipe

Ingredients for 4 persons

4 racks of sambucano lamb
6 dried chamomile flowers
Butter, to taste
Lamb drippings, as needed
Salt and pepper

For the Goat Cheese

100 gr of goat's milk
1 g of agar agar
50 gr of fresh goat cheese

For the herbal tea

550 grams of water
10 gr of herbal tea composed as follows: chamomile, star anise, fennel, licorice, mint

For the "honey-like" herbal tea reduction

500 gr of herbal tea
40 gr of tapioca powder

To Finish

1 large Fennel bulb
Salt, to taste
Chamomile pollen, to taste
Swiss chard leaves and stalks
Lamb gravy, to taste
Bouquet of herbs

Preparation

1. Infuse the herbal tea in water at 90 ° C for 10 minutes. When the time has finished, filter the herbal tea and cool it in a blast chiller.

2. Add the tapioca powder to the cold herbal tea and then reduce the mixture heating it on the stove to a honey-like consistency. Allow to cool and place in a transparent pastry bag.

3. Bring the goat's milk, with the agar agar, to a boil; remove it from the heat and pour it into another container; cool it in a blast chiller and leave it to thicken. Once cooled, mix in the goat cheese until a smooth cream is obtained

4. Wash and clean the Swiss chard. In a saucepan, cook the stalks and leaves with a little extra virgin olive oil and a little hot water. Season with salt and cook: maintaining the vegetables’ crispiness.

5. Wash and clean the fennel, then cut it into thin slices; season with extra virgin olive oil and salt.

6. Cook the rack of sambucano lamb in a pan with the butter and herbs, keep it pink and keep it warm.

7. Glaze the rack of lamb with the herbal tea reduction.

8. Place a spoonful of goat cheese cream on the plate, sprinkle with the chamomile pollen. To the right of the cream cheese, dot the plate with the herbal tea reduction. Place the rack of lamb on the cream cheese; finish the dish with the chard, fennel and the bouquet of herbs. Drizzle with a spoonful of lamb gravy.