Equipment
* optional
Ingredients
Rolled Lamb Breast
- 1000 g rolled lamb breast, tied with butcher's twine
- 15 ml olive oil
- 10 g kosher salt
- 5 g black pepper, freshly ground
Dauphinoise Potatoes
- 800 g yukon gold potatoes, peeled
- 300 ml double cream
- 300 ml whole milk
- 3 garlic, crushed
- 5 fresh thyme, whole sprigs
- 100 g gruyere cheese, freshly grated
- ground nutmeg
Red Wine Sauce
- 2 shallots, finely diced
- 10 ml olive oil
- 250 ml dry red wine
- 500 ml beef stock, low sodium
- 30 g unsalted butter, cold and cubed
Spring Greens
- 300 g spring greens, washed and shredded
- 20 g unsalted butter
- kosher salt
Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is estimated per serving. Nutrients without complete source data are omitted.
Full nutrition
- Calories
- 1207 kcal
- Protein
- 67 g
- Carbohydrates
- 61 g
- Fat
- 75 g
- Fiber
- 11 g
- Sugar
- 11 g
- Sodium
- 2183 mg
- Saturated Fat
- 38 g
- Trans Fat
- 1 g
- Monounsaturated Fat
- 23 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat
- 4 g
- Cholesterol
- 309 mg
- Potassium
- 2597 mg
- Calcium
- 656 mg
- Iron
- 5.8 mg
- Magnesium
- 200 mg
- Phosphorus
- 963 mg
- Zinc
- 9.1 mg
- Vitamin A
- 708 mcg
- Vitamin C
- 72 mg
- Vitamin D
- 2.3 mcg
- Vitamin E
- 4.5 mg
- Vitamin K
- 338 mcg
- Vitamin B6
- 0.7 mg
- Vitamin B12
- 5.9 mcg
- Thiamin
- 0.28 mg
- Riboflavin
- 0.90 mg
- Niacin
- 14.3 mg
- Folate
- 114 mcg
- Water
- 555 g
- Alcohol
- 7 g
Sources: Aggregated Public Data, USDA FoodData Central
Method
Preheat the oven to 160C (320F). Prepare your workspace and ensure you have all ingredients measured.
Rub the rolled lamb breast with olive oil, then season generously with salt and black pepper on all sides. Wash your hands and surfaces thoroughly after handling the raw meat to prevent cross-contamination.
Place the lamb breast in a roasting pan and slow roast uncovered until the fat has rendered deeply and the internal temperature registers at least 90C (195F).
While the lamb begins roasting, carefully slice the peeled potatoes into even 2mm rounds using a mandoline slicer. Do not rinse the sliced potatoes, as their starch will help thicken the cream.
In a saucepan, bring the double cream, whole milk, crushed garlic cloves, fresh thyme sprigs, and nutmeg to a gentle simmer. Remove from heat immediately once simmering, season with salt, and let infuse.
Layer the sliced potatoes slightly overlapping in a buttered gratin dish. Pour the warm infused cream mixture through a fine mesh strainer directly over the potatoes, discarding the solids. Press down gently to ensure potatoes are submerged, then scatter the grated gruyere evenly over the top.
Place the gratin dish in the oven alongside the roasting lamb for the final 90 minutes of the lamb's cooking time.
To begin the sauce, heat a little olive oil in a frying pan over medium heat and saute the finely diced shallots until translucent and softened.
Pour the red wine into the pan with the shallots, scraping the bottom with a wooden spoon to release any fond. Allow this to rapidly boil until the wine is reduced by half.
Add the beef stock to the reduced wine mixture. Continue to boil until the liquid reduces down to a rich sauce consistency that can lightly coat the back of a spoon.
Remove the reduced sauce from the heat. Briskly whisk in the cold, cubed butter piece by piece until fully emulsified into a glossy sauce. Strain through a fine mesh sieve if a smooth texture is desired, and keep warm.
Remove the lamb breast from the oven once cooked. Transfer it to a cutting board, tent loosely with aluminum foil, and let it rest.
Bring a pot of heavily salted water to a rapid boil. Drop in the shredded spring greens and cook briefly until bright green. Drain thoroughly, return to the empty warm pot, and toss with the butter until coated.
Remove the twine from the resting lamb breast and carve it into thick slices. Serve alongside generous scoops of the potato gratin, a portion of the buttered greens, and pour the warm red wine sauce over the meat.
Chef's Notes
- Lamb breast is one of the most flavourful and economical cuts, but it carries a lot of fat. The slow roasting process is non-negotiable, as it renders out the excess fat while turning the tough collagen into gelatin.
- Do not rinse your sliced potatoes. The surface starch on the potatoes acts as a natural thickener for the milk and cream mixture, giving the dauphinoise its signature creamy, cohesive texture.
- Mounting the sauce with cold butter off the heat, a technique known as monter au beurre, is the key to a restaurant-quality glossy finish. If the pan is too hot, the butter will melt into an oily layer rather than emulsifying.
- If you prefer an even crispier skin on the lamb breast, you can flash it under the broiler for 3 to 5 minutes after resting, just before carving.
Storage
Refrigerator: 3 days — Store lamb, greens, and sauce in separate airtight containers.
Freezer: 1 month — Lamb and sauce freeze well. Do not freeze the dauphinoise potatoes as the cream sauce will split upon thawing.
Reheating: Reheat lamb gently in a 160C oven covered with foil. Reheat potatoes in the oven until bubbling. Warm sauce in a saucepan over low heat, do not boil or the butter emulsion will break.
Troubleshooting
Lamb breast is tough and chewy
Cause: The tough connective tissues and collagen did not have enough time to break down
Fix: Return the lamb to the oven, covered with foil, and cook for another 30 to 45 minutes
Prevention: Always cook tough cuts low and slow, checking that a temperature probe easily pierces the meat with zero resistance before resting
Dauphinoise cream splits or curdles
Cause: Oven temperature was too high or the wrong potato variety was used, lacking sufficient starch to stabilize the dairy
Fix: Cannot be fixed completely, but letting the gratin rest for 15 minutes before serving allows the potatoes to reabsorb some of the split fat
Prevention: Ensure the oven does not exceed 160C and always use starchy or all-purpose potatoes without rinsing them
Red wine sauce is too thin
Cause: The sauce was not reduced sufficiently before mounting with butter
Fix: Whisk in a slurry of 1 teaspoon cornstarch mixed with 1 teaspoon cold water, and gently simmer for 2 minutes until thickened
Prevention: Wait for the sauce to coat the back of a spoon before adding the butter
Cultural Context
Lamb breast is a traditional, thrifty cut in British butchery that has fed families for generations through slow, gentle cooking. Pairing it with the French classic gratin dauphinois showcases a beautiful culinary crossover, elevating a humble cut of meat with rich, elegant side dishes typical of Sunday roasts or celebration dinners.
