Lamb B'stilla
KYLE NICOL
Jacqui Challinor is known for her generous plates piled high with big, bold flavours. The wood-fired oven sits at the centre of her cooking, adding an extra warmth to her Mediterranean fare and Maltese flavours that peppered her upbringing. She takes a hands-on approach, making cheese, bread and charcuterie with the freshest, local produce to be found.
As Executive Chef for the Nomad Group, her creative gaze reaches far and wide across wine bars and restaurants tucked away in the backstreets of Melbourne and Sydney, where gargoyles and stained glass windows watch on as you sip Champagne and oysters.
INGREDIENTS
BโSTILLA
1 Lamb Shoulder, bone in
100ml Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 Head of Garlic, split in half
1 Brown Onion, peeled & quartered
2 Celery Stalks, cut into 3cm lengths
1 Carrot, cut into 3cm lengths
1L Beef Stock
2tb Sea Salt
1t Black Pepper, ground
12 Sheets Filo Pastry
Clarified Butter or Ghee, to brush
SALSA
180g Golden Raisins, finely chopped
1 Birds Eye Chill, finely chopped
1 Clove of Garlic, peeled and finely grated
10 Good Quality Anchovy
Fillets, finely chopped
80g Salted Capers, rinsed & finely chopped
100ml Extra Virgin Olive Oil Juice of 1โ2 lemon
1 Handful Parsley Leaves, finely chopped
HERB SALAD
1 Bunch Chives, washed & cut into 2cm lengths
1 Bunch Chervil, leaves picked & washed
1 Bunch Parsley, leaves picked & washed
1 Bunch Bronze Fennel, leaves picked & washed
Juice of 1โ2 lemon
Extra Virgin Olive Oil, to finish
METHOD
Preheat the oven to 160ยฐc. Rub the salt and pepper into the lamb.
Heat the oil in a large frying pan over high heat. Once the pan begins to almost smoke, add the lamb shoulder. Turn as necessary, making sure that itโs evenly browned and sealed on all sides. Once youโre happy with the colour, remove the lamb from the pan and place into a deep baking dish.
Add the garlic, onion, carrot and celery to the frying pan. Cook until golden brown and aromatic, then add the beef stock to deglaze.
Pour this liquid over the lamb shoulder then cover with a lid or aluminium foil.
Place the baking dish in the oven and cook for a minimum of 4 hours, or until the lamb is falling off the bone.
Once your lamb is ready, remove from the oven and allow it to rest in the cooking liquid for 30 minutes before removing it.
Strain the aromats from the cooking liquid into a saucepan and bring to the boil. Lower heat to a gentle simmer and continue to cook until it reduces by 3/4 . Youโll need to skim the impurities and excess fat from your stock as itโs reducing, so keep a ladle handy.
While the stock is reducing, you can start shredding the lamb shoulder. The bone should easily pull away from the meat so you can just break the meat apart gently.
Once your sauce is ready, pour over the shredded lamb. Only add as much as necessary, you want the lamb to be moist but not sloppy. Check the seasoning, add more if necessary.
To wrap the lamb, overlap 4 sheets of filo to create a large square, brush with melted clarified butter and repeat another 2 times. Brush a 20cm pie dish with butter and line the dish with the pastry. Add the shredded lamb and fold the pastry over the top, overlapping to seal the top, give it a gentle brush with butter and pop into a 180c oven for 30-40 minutes or until golden brown.
While your bโstilla is cooking, get the salsa ready. Combine all of the finely chopped ingredients in a bowl and mix well, dress with the lemon juice and olive oil. This will get better as it marinates so if time permits, make it a day ahead of time.
Once the bโstilla is ready, spoon the golden raisin salsa evenly over the top.
Dress the herb salad with lemon juice & olive oil and spread over the top of the bโstilla. Serve warm and enjoy!