Top Chef, Season 6, Episode 12, Elimination Challenge Winner

8 Servings

For Lamb Confit:

• 1 bone-in lamb saddle, full fat
• ~1 cup extra virgin olive oil (equal to lamb fat)
• 1 tablespoon fennel pollen
• 1 teaspoon espelette pepper
• 1 tablespoon chopped fennel fronds
• Salt

For Baked Asparagus:

• 1 bunch asparagus (standard size)
• 2 lbs sunchokes
• 1 pint heavy cream
• 1 loaf white sandwich bread
• 1 lb butter, melted
• 1 tablespoon black truffle paste
• Salt
• Lemon juice

For Sherry-Glazed Beets:

• 1 bunch golden beets
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 cup sherry wine
• 1 cup sherry vinegar
• 1 tablespoon pickling spices
• ¼ lb Swiss chard stems
• 1 bunch fresh parsley?
• Extra virgin olive oil
• Salt and pepper

For Lamb

1. De-bone lamb saddle and remove both loins. Trim away all external fat and connective tissue, and reserve.

2. In a heavy bottom pan, render lamb fat that was trimmed off of saddle over medium-low heat. Take extreme care not to burn fat or caramelize too darkly. Once rendered, add an equal volume of olive oil (may have some left over). Strain fats through a fine chinois and cool to room temperature.

3. Season lamb loins liberally with remaining ingredients and place in two cryovac bags. Distribute fat evenly between two bags and vacuum on full pressure to seal. Place in an immersion circulator set at 56.6-degree C and circulate for 2 hours and 20 minutes. Decrease water temperature to 48-degrees C and let rest in bag for 25 minutes.

4. Remove from bag and re-season before serving.

For Baked Asparagus

1. Blanch, shock, and drain asparagus.

2. Slice on a bias into very small rounds. Reserve separately.

3. Peel and slice sunchokes into small rounds. Simmer in heavy cream until very tender. Season with salt and puree until very smooth. Adjust seasoning with lemon juice.

4. Roll bread slices into thin pieces with a rolling pin. Brush with melted butter and sprinkle with truffle pieces. Bake at 350-degrees F until crispy.

5. Spoon puree into small containers and top with asparagus. Garnish each with a piece of toasted bread.

For Sherry-Glazed Beets

1. Roast beet covered in oven until tender. Peel and slice into 1” rounds using a ring cutter to make each slice a perfect cylinder. Reserve.

2. In a heavy bottom pan, caramelize sugar until deep amber. Deglaze with sherry wine and vinegar. Simmer until sugar is dissolved. Pour half of the liquid into a metal 1/6th pan and add pickling spices. Reduce other half until it is a thick glaze.

3. To the 1/6th pan, add Swiss chard stems and let sit for 3 hours in the liquid. Remove chard from liquid before service and trim to desired length.

4. Place beet rounds in a shallow hotel pan and brush with glaze. Bake in a 400-degree F oven until beets are caramelized and shiny, basting often. Remove and cool to room temperature. Brush with glaze just before serving and season with salt and pepper.

5. Puree parsley in a blender with olive oil to form a soft paste. Top each beet with a small spoonful of parsley sauce and a piece of Swiss chard stem.

To Serve:

1. Slice lamb and plate with juices.

2. Serve with baked asparagus and sherry-glazed beets on the side.