Make it at home

Yield 4Hands-on 45 minTotal 1 hr 30 minDifficulty Intermediate

Ingredients

  • 1 boned saddle of Irish spring lamb, 800g, trussed
  • 2 racks of lamb, French-trimmed, 6 ribs each, for an alternative cut
  • 60g unsalted Irish butter
  • 3 tbsp neutral oil
  • 8 garlic cloves, crushed (whole)
  • 1 small bunch fresh rosemary
  • 1 small bunch fresh thyme
  • 300g new-season Jersey Royal potatoes, halved
  • 200g wild garlic leaves (in season), washed
  • 100g podded fresh peas (or frozen petits pois)
  • 100g podded broad beans, double-podded
  • 2 baby gem lettuces, quartered lengthwise
  • 200ml dry white wine
  • 300ml lamb or chicken stock
  • 1 tbsp Highbank Orchard syrup or aged balsamic
  • Maldon sea salt, black pepper

Method

  1. Take the lamb out of the fridge 45 minutes before cooking. Pat dry and season heavily.
  2. Heat oven to 200C. Heat oil in a heavy ovenproof pan and sear lamb on all sides until deep brown, 8 minutes total.
  3. Add 30g butter, garlic, rosemary, and thyme. Tilt the pan and baste lamb for 2 minutes.
  4. Roast in the oven 18 to 22 minutes for medium-rare (probe to 54C internal). Rest 12 minutes on a warm plate, loosely tented.
  5. Boil Jersey Royals in salted water 12 minutes until tender. Drain.
  6. In the same pan (no need to clean), soften the wild garlic 30 seconds in the lamb fat. Add peas, broad beans, and baby gems, toss 90 seconds. Lift out.
  7. Pour wine into the pan, scrape up the fond, reduce by half. Add stock, reduce by half again. Stir in remaining butter and Highbank syrup to a glossy sauce.
  8. Carve lamb against the grain into thick slices. Plate with vegetables and Jersey Royals, spoon sauce over and finish with Maldon.

Tip from the editors. Wild garlic season is short (March to early May); if it has finished, replace with 1 small bunch of chopped flat-leaf parsley and an extra raw garlic clove softened in the butter at the start.

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Where to eat mount juliet estate lamb

Mount Juliet Estate Lamb in Kilkenny

Lady Helen at Mount Juliet 1 ★ ★ 4.8

€€€€ Tasting €105-130IrishThomastownChef John Kelly

Lady Helen at Mount Juliet Estate has held one Michelin star since 2013, chef John Kelly serving modern Irish tasting menus 18km south of Kilkenny.

OrderSeasonal tasting menu built entirely on Irish produce from the estate and local suppliers.

Book3-6 weeks ahead

TipStaying on the estate makes the dinner experience complete; room rates include access to the grounds and morning walks by the river.

Campagne ★ 4.8

€€€ Wine barMedieval Mile

Campagne's wine list matches its Michelin kitchen, a curated French and European selection chosen by sommelier Brid Hannon for each tasting-menu course.

PourSommelier-selected pairing with the tasting menu

WineClassic French and European fine wine

FoodFull Michelin-starred tasting menu

Rive Gauche ★ 4.1

€€€ Cocktail barFrench-inspired wine bar and restaurantMedieval Mile

Rive Gauche on The Parade is Kilkenny's closest dedicated wine bar, a handsome room of exposed brick with seasonal Irish plates and a natural wine list.

DrinkNatural wine by the glass

FoodSeasonal Irish sharing plates

Stathams by Pembroke ★ 3.9

€€€€ Tasting €45-65IrishMedieval Mile

Stathams Supper Club at the Pembroke Hotel serves built modern Irish sharing plates and hosts a heated outdoor courtyard in central Kilkenny.

OrderSeasonal sharing plates on local Co. Kilkenny produce; the wine list favours Irish and European.

Book1-2 weeks ahead

TipThe heated outdoor courtyard is one of the better al fresco dining options in the city on a clear evening.

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