Lamb Tenderloin with Lentils and Herbed Jus
Using lentils almost like refried beans, Chef Rodriguez makes a tasty cake of lentils as a base for slices of lamb tenderloin. A simple sauce of reduced lamb jus and a bouquet of herbs accompany the dish.
Ingredients
- Lentils
- Olive Oil - 2 tablespoons, garlic-infused
- Whole black peppercorns - 6 to 8
- Green Onions - 4, chopped
- Shallot - 1, diced
- Red Bell Pepper - 1, seeded and diced
- Garlic Clove - 1, minced
- Lentils - 4 cups, cooked
- Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
- Chives - 12 to 15, minced
- Lamb tenderloins - 4 small, portion from under the rib bones
- Garlic-infused olive oil - 1/4 to 1/2 cup
- Whole black peppercorns - 6 to 8
- Sauce
- Rich lamb stock - 2 cups
- Rosemary - 1 sprig
- Basil - 1 sprig
- Rosemary Sprigs - 4 sprigs
- Thyme - 4 sprigs
- Basil - 4 sprigs
Instructions
To prepare the lentils: Heat the oil and peppercorns in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onions and shallots and cook until softened, about 1 minute. Add the bell pepper and cook 30 seconds, then add the garlic and cook another 30 seconds. Stir in 3 cups of the lentils and cook, stirring occasionally, until the mixture has lost most of its moisture, 2 to 3 minutes. Press the remaining cup of lentils with a potato ricer, extracting juice into the vegetables, then put the pressed lentils into the mixture and stir to blend. Crush the lentils with the back of a large spoon. Lower the heat to medium-low and warm through, stirring occasionally. Season with salt and pepper; stir in the chives. Keep warm.
To prepare the lamb: Trim the tenderloins of any fat and season with salt and pepper. Heat 1/2 inch of the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat and add the tenderloins. Sear about 1 minute on each side, turning the tenderloins with tongs; do not let the tenderloins touch in the pan or they will stew, not brown. Cook in separate pans if necessary. Cook until medium-rare (press the meat gently; it should have about as much “spring” as the heel of your thumb). Total cooking time will be about 7 to 9 minutes for medium-rare.
To prepare the sauce: Put the lamb stock and herbs in a saucepan or skillet over medium-high heat. Cook to reduce, shaking the pan periodically to keep the stock from browning at the edges, until reduced to 3/4 cup of liquid. Remove from heat; pick out the herbs.
To serve: Place a 4-inch ring mold in the center of a plate and fill with the lentil mixture, pressing into a cake. Lift the mold and repeat on the other plates. Carve the tenderloins into 1/2-inch slices. Circle the top of each lentil mold with overlapping lamb slices; place additional lamb slices to one side of each cake. Drizzle the plates with lamb jus. Gather a sprig of rosemary, a sprig of thyme, and a sprig of basil into an herb bouquet and stand in the center of the lamb slices on a lentil cake; repeat with the remaining dishes.
