Howgill Herdwick lamb tartare with kimchi and soy-cured egg yolk
- Starter
- Medium
- 4
- 2 hours, plus 4–6 weeks for the kimchi, and some prep the night before
PT2H
PT
This delicious lamb tartare is mixed with fiery homemade kimchi, fresh mackerel and anchovies creating a real symphony of umami-rich and complex flavour. It is topped with little dots of lamb oil emulsion, a soy-cured egg yolk and crunchy pickled daikon to cut through the rich flavours, resulting in a perfectly balanced dish. The homemade kimchi takes 4–6 weeks to ferment, but you can use a good-quality shop-bought version if you don't have the time.
Ingredients
Cabbage
- 1 Chinese cabbage , divided into leaves
- 275g of table salt
- 1.2l water
Kimchi paste
- 240g of water
- 2 tbsp of brown rice flour
- 120g of fish sauce
- 50g of gochugaru
- 2 tbsp of sugar
- 2 tbsp of sesame seeds
- 4 garlic cloves , finely chopped
- 3cm of fresh ginger , peeled and finely grated into a paste
Lamb oil emulsion
- 300g of lamb bones
- 300ml of vegetable oil
- 3 egg yolks
- 1/2 tsp English mustard
- 2 tsp white wine vinegar
- salt
Soy-cured egg yolk
- 4 egg yolks
- 10 tbsp of light soy sauce
- 1 tbsp of mirin
Pickled daikon
- 1/4 daikon radish , peeled and brunoised
- 50ml of water
- 100ml of rice wine vinegar
- 50g of sugar
Puffed rice
Lamb tartare
- 280g of lamb loin , Nina uses local Howgill Herdwick lamb, very finely chopped
- 2 fresh mackerel fillets , very finely diced and slightly crushed
- 2 shallots , finely diced
- 4 anchovy fillets , smashed
To serve
Equipment
- Blender
Method
Begin by making the kimchi as it needs 4–6 weeks to ferment (if you're using shop-bought kimchi, you can skip to step 5). Make the brine by placing the water and salt in a pan and heat up until the salt has dissolved. Leave to cool, then add the cabbage leaves and leave to brine for 1 hour
- 1.2l water
- 275g of table salt
- 1 Chinese cabbage , divided into leaves
To make the kimchi paste, pour the 240g of water into a pan and bring to the boil. Whisk in the rice flour, then add the rest of the kimchi ingredients and continue to cook until it thickens a little. Take off the heat and leave to cool
- 240g of water
- 2 tbsp of brown rice flour
- 120g of fish sauce
- 50g of gochugaru
- 2 tbsp of sugar
- 2 tbsp of sesame seeds
- 4 garlic cloves , finely chopped
- 3cm of fresh ginger , peeled and finely grated into a paste
Drain the cabbage leaves from the brine then dip each leaf into the kimchi paste, ensuring they are fully coated. Layer into a Kilner jar (wear plastic gloves for this process if you have them). Weigh the leaves down with a fermenting weight or a sandwich bag filled with water so that the leaves are packed tight and completely submerged in the liquid. Leave to ferment somewhere dark and at room temperature
‘Burp’ the jar every day for the next 2 weeks to allow the built-up gas to escape. After that, burp every few days until you hit 4 weeks. Try a leaf and see if it is to your taste. If it is a little salty, leave for another 2 weeks. Place in the fridge until ready to use. It will keep for a good few weeks if you keep it in the fridge
The lamb oil needs to infuse overnight so prepare this a day in advance. Preheat an oven to 200ºC/gas mark 6 and roast the lamb bones for 40 minutes. Heat up the oil until just starting to shimmer, then very carefully lower the bones into the oil. Remove from the heat and leave to infuse overnight
- 300g of lamb bones
- 300ml of vegetable oil
The soy-cured egg yolks needs 8–10 hours to cure, so is best prepared on the morning of serving. (If this is an issue, you can cure for 8 hours then transfer to good quality oil and store until ready to serve.) Place the soy sauce and mirin into a small container then carefully place the egg yolks into it, ensuring they do not break. Leave in the fridge for 8-10 hours until ready to serve
- 10 tbsp of light soy sauce
- 1 tbsp of mirin
- 4 egg yolks
To make the lamb oil emulsion, strain the bones from the oil. Whisk the yolks together with the mustard and vinegar until thick and doubled in volume. Slowly drizzle the oil in whilst continuously whisking to create a thick mayonnaise, reserving around a tablespoon of oil for the tartare later. If it begins to split, you can bring it back together with a little cold water. Taste, season with salt and transfer to a piping bag or squeezy bottle
- 3 egg yolks
- 1/2 tsp English mustard
- 2 tsp white wine vinegar
- salt
To make the pickled daikon, place the water, vinegar and sugar in a pan and heat until the sugar has dissolved. Leave to cool, then add the daikon and leave to pickle for at least 1 hour
- 50ml of water
- 100ml of rice wine vinegar
- 50g of sugar
To make the puffed rice, heat the oil in a small pan to around 195ºC. When a grain of rice is dropped into the oil it should puff up and float to the top almost instantly. Add the rice in small batches, drain on kitchen paper and season with a pinch of salt. Store in an airtight container to ensure the grains remains crisp
Finally, make the tartare. Mix all the ingredients together with a dash of the reserved lamb oil. Take 4 leaves out of your kimchi jar and finely chop them, then stir them into the tartare mixture. Taste and adjust the seasoning if needed
- 280g of lamb loin , Nina uses local Howgill Herdwick lamb, very finely chopped
- 2 fresh mackerel fillets , very finely diced and slightly crushed
- 2 shallots , finely diced
- 4 anchovy fillets , smashed
To plate, spoon the tartar into a ring in the centre of each plate, leaving a well in the centre to place the egg yolk. Carefully lift the yolk out of the soy sauce and place it on top. Pipe dots of the lamb oil emulsion around the edge, then sprinkle with the pickled daikon and puffed rice. Finish with a few micro herbs
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Howgill Herdwick lamb tartare with kimchi and soy-cured egg yolk
