We recently teamed up with six of Wales’ top chefs and restauranteurs to create a host of mouth-watering recipes, each with one thing in common; Welsh Lamb was the star of the show! From sensational Spanish dishes to comfort food favourites and everything in between, each dish showcased the versatility and supreme quality of Welsh Lamb.
Our second stop on our culinary masterclass tour was Grangetown, Cardiff. Here, we met the lovely and extremely talented, James Chant – founder of Wales’ first, and the UK’s most celebrated ramen shop; Matsudai Ramen.
Matsudai Ramen started life in 2019 as a pop-up and creative outlet for James – who at that point, had never set foot in a professional kitchen. Fast forward to 2024 and James now runs an extremely successful ramen shop in Wales’ capital city as well as offering ramen kit deliveries UK wide, and has received praise from culinary greats such as Jay Rayner, Andi Oliver and Tom Parker Bowles.
We provided James with a broad brief of creating a stunning Welsh Lamb dish that would inspire home cooks and boy, did he nail it! We were treated to a delicious Welsh Lamb karaage (pronounced ‘ka-raa-geh’) – a traditional Japanese cooking technique of deep-frying lightly coated, pre-marinated meat – and yes, it was as delicious as it sounds!
The 3-step recipe consisted of browning and braising the Welsh Lamb, making the Japanese-style mayonnaise and then deep-frying the lamb. Usually, the karaage would be enjoyed with the homemade mayo and a beer, but James suggested that it would be equally as delicious served over rice and topped with nori seaweed and the homemade mayonnaise for an exciting and unique family dinner.
For James, this dish was made for Welsh Lamb:
“One of the great things about cooking with Welsh Lamb is its superior quality, which allows you to experiment with a whole host of different cooking techniques and flavours, and the Japanese flavours in this dish perfectly complement the richness of Welsh Lamb.”
And we couldn’t agree more, James!
For more delicious recipe inspiration showcasing the unique and superior taste of Welsh Lamb, head to our recipe pages.