Lamb with marinated peppers, 'Patatas Bravas' and garlic and anchovy espuma

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Inspired by Spanish flavours and with spring approaching why not try tangy sweet peppers with smokey potatoes? The espuma is optional, a garlic aioli would do just as well if you don't have an espuma gun.


Serves two

Olive oil
50g unsalted butter
Lamb loin rack, french trimmed
3 large Ramiro peppers, finely chopped and de-seeded
150ml vegetable stock
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
50ml red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons caster sugar
1 bay leaf
300ml whole milk
100ml double cream
3-4 anchovy fillets, drained of oil
1 bulb garlic
2 baking potatoes, such as Maris Piper, peeled and sliced into 1cm thick rounds
1 tsp smoked paprika (pimenton)
2 slices Serrano ham
1 tsp fresh thyme


1. Preheat the oven to 140C. Place the bulb of garlic, unpeeled, into an ovenproof dish and roast for two hours, or until the garlic is soft and has a roasted aroma, place the milk in a bowl and add the garlic and anchovies along with the double cream, cover and leave in the fridge to infuse for around 6 hours.

2. For the marinated peppers, Take two sliced peppers and place into a pan with the red wine vinegar, sugar, bay leaf and garlic, cover and refrigerate for 3-4 hours to allow time to infuse.

3. Place the remaining peppers into a pan along with the vegetable stock and simmer over a medium heat for around 10-15 minutes, or until the peppers are very soft, once softened blitz in a food processor and pass through a sieve, add 25g of the butter to the sauce and whisk in, keep warm.

4. Preheat the oven to 180C. Lay the Serrano ham slices on a baking sheet lined with silicone paper (bake-o-glide works well) and bake for 6-8 minutes, the ham will be soft when it comes out but will harden up into a shard rapidly once cooled, place on a cooling rack and set aside.

5. Preheat the oven to 200C. Heat a pan until very hot, add a dash of olive oil, season the lamb and place into the pan, searing it on all sides. Transfer to the oven for 10-15 minutes, once cooked, rest for 5-10 minutes.

6. Place the potato slices in a frying pan with a generous splash of olive oil and the remaining butter, add the thyme and season the slices, fry for 3-5 minutes each side until golden brown and cooked through, drain on kitchen paper and dust with smoked paprika.

7. To assemble, reheat the marinated peppers and place in a half moon shape on the plate. Heat the milk and garlic mixture, sieve and pour into an espuma gun with 1 NO2 charge, shake well. Build the potatoes up into a stack and top with the espuma, lay the lamb onto the marinated peppers and add the pepper sauce around the plate, place the shard of Serrano ham on top of the potato stack and serve.