- Place the diced swede in a saucepan with the butter. Cover the swede with cold water and add 1 teaspoon of salt. Cook over a high heat. You will need to top the water up as it cooks. Once the swede is fully cooked (very soft), keep the pan on a high heat and allow all of the water to evaporate. You will need to keep stirring the swede to avoid it burning. Once all of the water has evaporated, you will be left with buttery crushed swede. Finish with cracked pepper. Set aside and reheat it in a pan once the lamb is cooked.
- For the cabbage pesto, remove the vein from the outer cabbage leaves and place in a pan of boiling water for 2 minutes. Carefully remove the leaves from the water and place them in a bowl of iced water. Once the leaves are cool, squeeze out as much excess water as possible. Roughly chop the leaves and place them in a kitchen blender with all the other pesto ingredients. Blend until smooth and season with salt to taste.
- To cook the lamb, place a frying pan over a medium heat and add 2 tablespoons of rapeseed oil.
- Season the lamb and place (fat side down) in the pan. Cook for 2-3 minutes until the fat has coloured (be careful not to burn the fat as it can become bitter).
- Flip the lamb over and place in a preheated oven at 190˚C / 170˚C fan / Gas 5.
- After 3 minutes, flip the lamb back on to the fat side and cook for a further 4 minutes.
- Remove the lamb from the oven and allow to rest for 5-10 minutes somewhere warm.
- Slice the lamb and serve on the crushed swede with a generous dollop of the pesto.
Welsh Lamb cannon with crushed swede by Tom Simmons
- Prep time 15 mins
- Cook time 1 hrs
- Serves 4
Ingredients
- 2 whole PGI Welsh Lamb cannon, with the fat on
- 2 tbsp rapeseed oil
- 300g swede, peeled and diced
- 50g butter
For the cabbage pesto:
- 200g savoy cabbage leaves (green outer leaves)
- 50g hard Italian-style cheese, finely grated (such as PDO Pecorino Romano or PDO Parmigiano-Reggiano)
- 50g pine nuts, lightly toasted
- ½ garlic clove
- 200ml olive oil