Lamb neck fillet with smoky mashed potatoes

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Emily Watkins brines her lamb neck fillets before pan-roasting to perfection in this simple recipe, served with a beautifully silky smoked mash. Brining the lamb before frying ensures a wonderfully tender finish, and helps to season the meat throughout.

First published in 2019

Ingredients

Metric

Imperial

Brined lamb neck fillets

Smoky mashed potato

Wilted greens

  • seasonal greens, such as curly kale or cavolo nero
  • 1 knob of butter
  • 1 pinch of salt

Equipment

  • Steamer
  • Mouli or potato ricer

Method

1
To make the brine, bring the water to the boil with the salt, rosemary and garlic. Once the salt has dissolved, leave to cool to fridge temperature. Place the lamb neck fillets in the brine for 1 hour, then rinse off the lamb and pat dry
2
Meanwhile, peel the potatoes and rinse before placing into a steamer. Cook until they are so soft that they fall apart when you touch them
3
Dice the butter and place in a bowl. Pass the potatoes through a mouli or potato ricer onto the butter, then mix in and season to taste. Set aside
4
To cook the lamb neck fillets, place a heavy-based pan over a medium-high heat. Rub the lamb with a little oil and place in the pan. Caramelise on all sides until the fillets are deep all over, then cover with foil and rest for 15 minutes
  • rapeseed oil
5
To finish the mash, bring the smoked oil and milk to a simmer in a saucepan. Add the mash and use a spatula to mix the potato into the mixture. Check the seasoning and adjust if necessary. Keep warm
6
Blanch the greens in boiling water for a few minutes, then drain and dress with a knob of butter and a pinch of salt
  • seasonal greens, such as curly kale or cavolo nero
  • 1 pinch of salt
  • 1 knob of butter
7
Carve the lamb neck fillets, season with a little salt and serve with the smoked mash and wilted greens
First published in 2019

Mother of three and previously chef-owner at The Kingham Plough, Oxfordshire, Emily Watkins has a lot on her proverbial plate. But it hasn’t stopped her from becoming one of Britain’s leading chefs.

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