Lamb with swede (or turnip?) gratin and broad beans

When it comes to turnips and swedes, you and I may differ about which is which depending upon the origin of our respective influences. The fact is we live in the region that straddles the change in the words’ meaning. Go further afield and the Scots consider the turnip to be the larger yellow round thing that I always hollowed out for Halloween while those further south know it’s the smaller white thing. And visa versa. No matter. This recipe calls for the larger yellow thing and, despite this intro possibly proving otherwise, for brevity I’ve called it a swede.

Broad beans are just coming into season. Many people seem to have been put off them in their youth, possibly via school lunches, but it’s worth giving them another try, especially if you can get them young and small.

Serves four

• One medium sized swede
• 300g potatoes
• Four 250g lamb rumps or thick chops
• One clove of garlic – crushed
• One sprig of rosemary
• 300ml of double cream
• A couple of handfuls of broad beans – shelled
• 250ml red wine reduced with 250ml lamb or chicken stock to 75ml
• A little vegetable oil
• Salt and freshly-ground black pepper

Preheat the oven to 200°C (gas 6)

Pour the cream into a pan and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat and add the crushed garlic with a little salt and pepper.

Meanwhile, peel the swede and potatoes and cut them into ½cm slices. Add to the cream and turn over until well coated. If oven-proof, place the pan in the oven or pour the mixture into an oven-proof dish and place in the oven for 35 to 40 minutes until tender.

Next, heat a frying pan, add a splash of oil and seal the lamb rumps on all sides, seasoning with a little salt and pepper. Again, if oven-proof, place the pan in the oven or transfer the rumps to a roasting dish and bake for 15 to 20 minutes (10 to 15 if using chops) which should result in medium cooked meat. Remove from the oven and allow to rest, covered to keep warm, for ten minutes.

Blanch the broad beans in boiling water for five minutes and drain. At the same time, add the rosemary to the wine and stock reduction and heat.

Previously published in The Northern Echo