Cannon of Lamb on Parsnip Purée with Salsa Verde

A ‘Cannon of Lamb’ is the eye of the loin or rack of a lamb, which has had the fat and sinew removed and then been taken off the bone. The joint is then rolled for ease of cooking.

Each ‘Cannon’ can weigh between 300g to 600g, which makes this cut suitable for serving two to three people. It is very tender and lean, thus making it ideally suited to 'flash' roasting, grilling, or when cut into miniature steaks or medallions, frying in a little butter, with a spot of olive oil.

Ingredients:

For the parsnip purée

900g/2lb parsnips, trimmed, peeled, chopped

300ml/½ pint double cream

300ml/½ pint full-fat milk

1 onion, peeled, halved

8 whole cloves

2 garlic cloves, peeled

1 bay leaf

salt and white pepper

For the salsa verde

3 garlic cloves, peeled, chopped

large handful each flatleaf parsley, mint and rosemary

2 gherkins

4 anchovies

1 tbsp drained capers

1 tbsp Dijon mustard

2 tbsp white wine vinegar

about 5 tbsp olive oil, plus extra

1 small unwaxed lemon, finely grated zest

freshly ground black pepper

For the lamb

2 x 450g/1lb cannons of lamb, trimmed

salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method:

Preheat the oven to 200C.

For the parsnips, put the parsnips in a saucepan with the cream and milk. Stud the onion with the cloves and add to the pan with the garlic and bay leaf. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat,

cover and simmer for 20 minutes, or until very tender. Drain, reserving the cooking liquor.

Blend the parsnips in a food processor until smooth and add some of the reserved cooking liquor, a tablespoon at a time, to form a purée that will just hold its shape. Season with salt and white pepper.

For the salsa verde, chop the garlic and herbs in a food processor on pulse setting until just combined. Add the gherkins, anchovies and capers and mix again. Add the mustard and vinegar and half of the oil. Mix again, then finally add the remaining oil and blend to make a rich thick sauce.

Spoon into a bowl and stir in the lemon zest. Taste and season with pepper. Note:The anchovies should be salty enough that you shouldn’t require any salt.

For the lamb, brush the lamb with olive oil and season well. Heat an ovenproof frying pan and fry the meat until browned on all sides, then transfer to the oven to roast for 30 minutes, longer if you prefer your meat less pink. Cover with tin foil and set aside to rest in a warm place for 15 minutes.

To serve, reheat the parsnip purée and divide it among warmed plates. Slice the lamb and set it on top. Spoon over a little of the salsa verde and serve the remainder in a bowl on the side.

Fruit and Vegetables in March

A lean month, often wild and windy, March should herald the approach of spring with its promise of good things to come.

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March, so the saying goes, comes in like a lion and goes out like a lamb. The weather may not always bear this out, but the vegetable markets usually do: this is the in-between month, too late for many of winter’s glorious root vegetables and brassicas, too early for the fresh, cheering arrivals of spring. It’s often a case of making do if you’re a stickler for home-grown produce, or of relying on imported produce. There may still be good root vegetables around, though you should check carefully for signs of softness that can indicate a spongy, watery interior; parsnips in particular may be good. Potatoes, of course, should be fine whether from the UK or abroad; new potatoes from Cyprus are especially good choices now.

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Curly kale, a member of the cabbage family, is a good choice among greens, as are broccoli imports from Spain. At the beginning of the month, spinach is likely to come from overseas, but UK crops will start appearing as March heads towards April. In the absence of a wide vegetable choice, don’t forget the humble onion – tasty small new crops should be coming into the market, and enliven just about any dish. Bake or braise them on their own, or use them in dishes like Caramelised Onion and Feta Tart or Onion Soup. Finally, take advantage of the wonderful leek, which is one of the months few vegetable stars.

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Leeks are a member of the allium family, which also includes onions and garlic, but they have far less smelly qualities that may cause a tricky situation for people who worry about what their breath smells like after eating. Most leeks sold in March are grown in the UK, though you might find some imports from France, especially the ‘baby’ leeks, which are hardly worth the price they command. As the home-grown leeks get to the end of their season, which they do in March, they can be so large that the core becomes tough and woody, making them inedible. Those that still stand up to cooking will probably have an unusually strong flavour. Look out for small to medium specimens without too much of the green tops as these are best in March. The green tops are not suitable for eating, but make good ingredients for soups, stews and stocks.

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Leeks have a reputation for being difficult to clean. Some recipes may suggest removing the green tops and cutting a slit down the centre of the leek before running water into the separate layers, but most leeks come into the market today free of grit in the edible white sections and can be cleaned just by cutting off the green part. Small leeks can be successfully grilled or stir-fried, but generally speaking they are better cooked in a moist environment – steaming, poaching, braising or cooking in a casserole or stew – as well as using them in stocks and soups.

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For fruit, there’s essentially nothing but imports to rely on. Oranges from Morocco remain a good buy as do exotic travellers from the southern hemisphere such as mangoes, passion fruit, and pawpaw or papaya. Grapes are another good bet, especially the green South African varieties, which are available in March. And don’t forget about the end of the season’s forced rhubarb.

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Parsnip, Leek and Goat's Cheese Strudel

These delicious pastries are great served as a starter with cranberry sauce or chutney.

Ingredients:
1 large leek, thinly sliced
2 medium parsnips, peeled and sliced
150ml vegetable or chicken stock
4 large sheets filo pastry
olive oil for brushing on pastry
85g soft rinded goat's cheese
sesame seeds to garnish

Method:
Preheat the oven to 200C.
Put the leeks and parsnips in a large pan with the stock and bring to the boil. Cover and cook for 8-10 minutes until starting to soften. Remove the lid and cook until the juices have evaporated. Tip onto a large plate to cool.
For each strudel, lightly brush half of each filo sheet with olive oil. Fold the un-brushed side over to form a smaller sheet, 2 layers thick. Brush the edges with a little more oil, then spoon a quarter of the vegetable mix along one edge. Crumble over a quarter of the cheese, fold over the pastry edges, then roll up to seal in the filling.
Put the strudels on a baking tray, brush with any remaining oil ans sprinkle with sesame seeds.
Bake for 25 minutes until crisp and golden.

Parsnips - Parsnip Fritters

Parsnips are one of my favourite winter vegetable. Their sweet taste is satisfying without being high in calories. The parsnip is a root vegetable related to the carrot, although they are paler than most carrots and have a stronger and sweeter flavour. Like carrots, parsnips are native to Eurasia and have been eaten since ancient times. They are a source of antioxidants, minerals, natural sugars and fibre.

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Parsnips are high in soluble fibre, the type that is great for digestion and aid the prevention of constipation. They help lower cholesterol and keep blood sugar on an even keel. They're a surprising source of folic acid, that B vitamin essential for women who are planning a family. Folic acid also plays a role in reducing heart disease and may help prevent dementia and osteoporosis bone fractures. Potassium, an aid to blood pressure, is present in ample quantities. Unlike their carrot cousins, however, parsnips lack beta carotene. Parsnips posses a high sugar content and are rich in Vitamin B6, Vitamin C and Vitamin E. Other vitamins include Niacin and Thiamine. Apart from their potassium content, they also provide the body with other minerals like copper, magnesium and manganese.

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Parsnips contain natural sugars which impart a sweet taste to the vegetable. The Elizabethans used parsnips as a sweetmeat with honey and spices as well as serving the root as a vegetable. The carbohydrate in the parsnip is stored in the form of natural sugars, as opposed to starches. Parsnips are considered sweeter than carrots. With almost three quarters of the sugar in parsnips as sucrose, the sugar we extract from sugar cane. Sucrose, though considered a no-no in the diet, is not at all damaging to health when consumed in its natural form from a plant source.

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The high level of soluble fibre contained in parsnips makes them a great inclusion in a cholesterol lowering, heart healthy diet and the folic acid content is of great benefit to expectant mothers and is also thought to help combat heart disease, dementia and osteoporosis. Interestingly, parsnips are also thought to improve bronchial function, so may be of particular help to asthma sufferers. The rich vitamin and mineral content of this humble root are also thought to give it diuretic and antioxidant properties and in natural medicine it has been used to treat kidney disease and for reducing obesity and cellulite and has been recommended to those suffering from anaemia.

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When choosing parsnips at the market go for crisp and firm, evenly coloured roots and store them in a plastic bag in the vegetable drawer of the refrigerator. Use them within 4 to 5 days.

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Parsnip Fritters:

These are great with cold leftover turkey or ham from the Christmas dinner, or as a starter or an accompaniment to a meal. If served as a starter, serve them with a dipping sauce of Greek yoghurt mixed with mustard and chives.

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Ingredients:

750g parsnips

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to season

2 garlic cloves, crushed

Leaves from 3 sprigs of thyme

1 egg

15ml butter

30ml flour

Grating of nutmeg

Oil for shallow frying

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Method:

Peel the parsnips and cut the flesh into rough 1cm cubes. Blanch them in a pan of salted boiling water for about 10 minutes until soft enough to mash with a fork. Drain and return to the pan for a minute, heating to steam off more moisture.

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Mash thoroughly and season with salt and black pepper. Stir in the garlic, thyme, egg and butter. Sprinkle with flour and a good grating of nutmeg. Beat together until smooth.

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Heat a thin layer of oil in a large frying pan. Make rough balls of the parsnip mixture between two spoons and drop into the oil. Fry for 2-3 minutes each side, turning when the first side is crusted gold. Drain on kitchen paper and serve.

Pork Chops with Apple and Parsnip Sauce

Ingredients:
1 Pork chop per person
50ml butter
1 Bramley or Granny Smith cooking apple, peeled and cubed
1 large parsnip, peeled and cubed
1 shallot, finely chopped
100ml white wine
30ml Dijon mustard
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to season
5ml chicken stock powder
30-45ml honey
100ml double cream
Fresh chopped parsley to garnish.

Method:
Cook the chops on a hot griddle pan shortly before the sauce is ready.

To Make The Sauce:
Melt the butter in a saucepan and add the apple, parsnip and shallot. Saute together for a few minutes before adding the wine and mustard.
Add seasoning and chicken stock powder and bring to the boil.
Simmer until the apple and parsnip are breaking down and the wine has reduced.
With a hand blender, blitz the mixture to a puree, then fold in the honey and cream. Check the seasoning.
Warm through and serve the sauce over the chops, garnished with fresh chopped parsley.