Phil Vickery’s Pitch Perfect Lamb Loin Fillets

Make your main course a champion by tackling these succulent lamb loin fillets. Served with fondant potatoes, baby carrots and steamed vegetables. 

Serves 2

Ingredients:

• 450g lamb loin fillet   
• 2 medium sized British roasting potatoes  
• 400g baby carrots (tops removed if preferred) 
• 250g tenderstem broccoli (trimmed if preferred) 
• 10 fresh mint leaves 
• 500ml chicken stock  
• 250ml Pinot noir
• 3 tbsp of plain flour 
• 2 sprigs of fresh thyme 
• 2 sprigs of fresh rosemary 
• 500g butter 
• Salt and pepper 
• Vegetable oil 

Method:

1. Remove the lamb from the fridge and leave to get to room temperature for roughly an hour. 

2. Preheat oven to 200°C (180°C Fan) Gas Mark 6. 

3. Melt the butter in a saucepan (keeping roughly 10g aside for the gravy). Roughly chop the rosemary and thyme, and add to the butter. Once melted, reduce to a low heat. 

4. Peel the potatoes and slice into 1-inch pieces. Remove the end pieces so you have slices with a similar thickness and 2 flat sides. Add to the melted butter and leave on a low heat for 30 minutes or until cooked through. 

5. Gently heat the chicken stock in a saucepan. While it is warming up, whisk the wine and flour together ensuring there are no lumps. Add to the chicken stock and whisk continuously until thickened, then place on the side. If the gravy is not thick enough you can add extra flour by mixing with a small amount of red wine and adding to the gravy. Continue whisking until the gravy has thickened. Don’t panic if you get lumps of flour, simply pass the gravy through a sieve. 

6. Optional step: remove the fat from the lamb loins and slice thinly, add to a frying pan and gently heat to render the fat ready for frying the lamb.  

7. Place a piece of cling film on a chopping board or the side. Sprinkle salt and pepper over the centre of the cling film, place the lamb loins on the seasoning, add more seasoning on top and wrap the loin fillets up. Leave for 10 minutes.  

8. After 10 minutes remove the cling film from the lamb fillets, if you are rendering the fat, remove any crispy pieces leaving just the melted lamb fat, and turn the heat high. Or heat 1 tbsp of vegetable oil in a frying pan. Once hot and almost smoking, carefully place the loin fillets in the pan. Fry for 2 minutes either side until the lamb loins are a beautiful caramel colour. Place on a baking tray and into the oven for 8-10 minutes (don’t wash the pan yet as it will be used for the fondant potatoes). Once the lamb is cooked, remove from the oven, wrap in foil, and leave on the side for 10-15 minutes to rest.  

9. Steam the carrots for 5 minutes, add the tenderstem broccoli and steam for a further 4 minutes until soft but not overcooked.  

10. While the lamb is resting, remove the potatoes from the butter and sear in the frying pan used for the lamb for 30 seconds-1 minute either side to add a lovely caramel colour (you can always add some of the butter if the pan is dry). Place on a plate lined with kitchen paper to catch any excess fat. 

11. Gently reheat the gravy and stir in some finely sliced mint and 10g butter, for shine.  

12. Remove the lamb from the foil and carve into thick slices. Pour any lamb juices left in the foil into the gravy and stir through.  

13. Place the slices of potato onto the plates, top with the lamb loin and steamed veg. Either drizzle the gravy around the plate or serve on the side in a jug.