Head chef at the Magic Mushroom restaurant in Billericay, Ellis Manchee, shares his recipe for herb crusted lamb rump with parsnip puree, baby vegetables, redcurrant jus and Dauphinoise potatoes

Great British Life: Ellis MancheeEllis Manchee (Image: Archant)

This year marks nine years since head chef Ellis Manchee started learning his craft at the Magic Mushroom restaurant in Billericay, working alongside owner and executive chef Darren Bennett. ‘Darren has been a good teacher over the years and now leaves me to get on with it,’ says Ellis. Working with a close knit brigade of five in the kitchen, he has no plans to move on just yet. ‘Darren has a good business sense and knows what he’s doing, so I’d love to go into a partnership with him in the future maybe.’

Here Ellis shares the recipe for one of the most popular main courses on the Magic Mushroom menu.

Herb crusted lamb rump, with parsnip puree, baby vegetables, redcurrant jus and Dauphinoise potatoes

Ingredients (Serves 4)

4 spring lamb rumps (get your butcher to prepare them)

For the crust

100g each of parsley, chervil and fresh mint

200g of bread crumbs

For the puree

2 parsnips (peeled)

Half an onion

2 garlic cloves

100g of butter

400g of double cream

For the baby vegetables

300g of fennel

300g of carrots

300g of turnips

For the jus

1 onion (roughly chopped)

1 carrot (roughly chopped)

1 leek (roughly chopped)

2 garlic cloves (chopped)

Thyme

250ml of red wine

125ml of balsamic vinegar

250g of redcurrant Jelly

1l of beef stock

For the Dauphinoise potatoes

2 shallots

6 garlic cloves

4 sprigs of thyme

1l of double cream

200g of cheddar cheese (grated)

10 of red potatoes (peeled)

Method

For the puree, chop the onions, garlic and parsnips, then melt the butter and sweat off the ingredients. When soft, add the cream and bring to the boil, then simmer for 15 minutes. Put in a food processor and blitz to a puree. Season to taste.

For the baby vegetables, peel the carrots, cut the turnips in half and trim the tops of the fennel. Now all the veg can be cooked in salted boiling water.

For the crust, pick the parsley, mint and chervil, then chop until fine and mix with the bread crumbs. Roll the edge of the lamb in the crust and roast for 25 minutes at 180C. Leave to rest for 10 minutes.

For the Dauphinoise potatoes, finely dice the shallot and garlic, sweat down, add the thyme and double cream, and bring to the boil. Simmer for 15 minutes, then add the grated cheese. Season to taste with salt & pepper. Slice the potatoes on a mandolin or thinly slice with a knife, then layer the sliced potatoes in a baking tray. Once layered, pour over the sauce and sprinkle more cheese over the top. Cover with tin foil, cook at 180C for 45 minutes or until the potato is soft. Remove the foil and bake for a further 15 minutes or until golden brown.

For the jus, brown off the onion, carrot, leeks, garlic and thyme, add the red wine and the balsamic vinegar and reduce by half. Add the beef stock, redcurrant jelly and boil, reducing down to a gravy consistency.

Get the taste

The Magic Mushroom Restaurant

Barleylands Road, Billericay, CM11 2UD, 01268 289963, www.magicmushroomrestaurant.co.uk