Carpaccio of Lamb Loin

[kirra]

Carpaccio of Lamb Loin
Chef Lynn Sheehan of Ketchum's Papa Hemi's Hideaway

Rolla (my daughter the cheffy) went to a cooking class recently at Rudy's and Chef Sheehan was presenting Lamb dishes. Rolla isn't that easily impressed but she came back raving about the chef and these dishes. If you get to Idaho and want a great meal, try the Papa Hemi's (formerly Trail Creek) experience. If you can't do that, then try the Lamb!

Ingredients:

11 oz lamb loin, approx 3/4 lb.
Salt & Pepper to taste
1 teaspoon chopped rosemary
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 lemon
1/2 cup olive oil
1 teaspoon sundried tomatoes, diced
2 teaspoons pine nuts, toasted
1 teaspoon capers, fried
1 teaspoon parsley, chopped

Preparation:

Carpaccio:
Clean silverskin off the lamb loin. It should be velvety and smooth. Season with salt & peeper and chopped rosemary. Sear quickly on both sides in 1 teaspoon olive oil. Refrigerate until cool.

Slice into 2 oz portions on a steep bias, being sure to cut against the grain of the meat. Pound lightly between layers of plastic wrap or oiled parchment paper. Refrigerate until ready to serve. This step may be prepared up to 24 hours in advance.

Lemon Garnish:
Quarter the lemon. Put lemon quarters in a very small saucepan or skillet. Cover with olive oil. Simmer gently until lemon rinds are tender, approximately 45 to 60 minutes on extremely low heat. Remove lemons from oil; strain and reserve oil for other use (vinaigrettes, etc.). Peel mushy insides off of lemon rind with sharp knife. Discard mush. Slice rind into julienne strips, then into small dice for carpaccio garnish.

Assembly:
Arrange one slice of pounded lamb per small plate per person. Drizzle lightly with olive oil; sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper to taste. Combine diced lemon peel, sun dried tomatoes, toasted pinenuts and parsley. Arrange in center of lamb. Sprinkle with fried crispy capers and serve. Serves 6 as an appetizer.