Patricia's neck of lamb with zucchini flowers
“The zucchini is a truly marvellous marrow with subtle gender differences.”
- 2 necks of lamb, boned (ask your butcher to do this and to give you back the bones)
- reserved lamb bones, roasted till golden
- 3 cups veal stock or chicken stock
- caul fat for wrapping, soaked overnight in salted water (or a piece of doubled foil and extra virgin olive oil)
- 4 male zucchini flowers
Stuffing
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 2 zucchini, coarsely grated
- 2 cloves garlic, chopped
- 6 male zucchini flowers, chopped
- 1 cup fresh breadcrumbs
- 2 tbsp chopped parsley
- 1 tbsp chopped oregano
- salt
- freshly ground black pepper
I recently collaborated with Patrizia Simone at a lunch for 100 at her restaurant in Bright. We visited Joe Russo, her exceptional vegetable supplier, at 7am to pick the flowers for lunch. 450 of them! Some were to be stuffed with a cheese risotto, others were to become a stuffing for a boned and rolled lamb neck, still more were used as wrappers for the lamb neck, and some of the fruit was to be cooked with potatoes and garlic as a vegetable course.
Method
Simmer the roasted lamb bones in the stock in a covered pan for 2 hours. Set aside.
For stuffing
Heat the olive oil and fry the grated zucchini, the garlic and the chopped flowers over moderate heat until softened. Stir in crumbs and herbs and season to taste. Set aside to cool.
On the work bench spread out a clean, dry cloth. Lay over it the piece of caul fat. Gently tear open two of the zucchini flowers and lay them over the caul. Lay the lamb neck on top. Place half the stuffing down the centre of the lamb neck, like a sausage. Grind black pepper over the meat and sprinkle with salt. Roll up the lamb neck into a neat parcel. Trim away excess caul. Tie into a bolster shape with string. Repeat with the second neck. (If using aluminium foil, tear off a sufficient length to be doubled and still allow the lamb neck to be encased completely. Generously oil the surface, lay out the flowers, the neck, and the stuffing exactly as above. Roll up tightly, folding the ends firmly. Tie once or twice).
The caul-wrapped bundle needs to be sealed well in a hot pan with a few drops of olive oil.
Place the bundles in a baking dish, with the reserved stock and the bones, and roast in a hot oven at 220C for 15 minutes, turning once. Allow to rest for 10 minutes before untying. Cut into thick slices and spoon over the cooking juices.
To serve
Serve with Maria's zucchini and potato stew (see recipe on cuisine.com.au), or your choice of vegetables.
