Last Updated on December 31, 2020 by Fiona Maclean
Italian style lentils with grilled lamb steak paired with Gagliole organic Super Tuscan 2016
The idea of serving my own idea of Italian style lentils with grilled lamb steaks marinated in Italian herbs and garlic and paired with a super Tuscan wine seems entirely appropriate. In a country of tradition and authenticity, the Super Tuscan is an outsider. It just happens to be one which has found its own place. I’m serving it with lentils for a lucky 2021 and with a delicious grilled lamb steak. Not the Italian way – but one which somehow evokes Italy.
Unlike other Tuscan wines, the super Tuscan can include wine grapes that are not indigenous to Italy. The very bureaucratic Italian wine laws led winemakers to begin mixing ‘unsanctioned’ wine varieties into their blends to make high-quality wines. Such was their success that in 1992, Italy created a whole new category of wines (IGT), a designation to allow winemakers to be more creative and move away from the DOC and DOCG blends without in any way losing quality. The Gagliole Super Tuscan 2016 combines indigenous Sangiovese grapes with Cabernet Sauvignon. All grown in the heart of the Chianti Classico mountains in a vineyard that is certified organic and sustainable, the handpicked grapes are then fermented as whole bunches so that the alcohol develops within the berries resulting in more complex aromas. Gagliole uses a number of cutting edge techniques including automatically rotating small oak barrels to ferment some of the wine allowing more extraction of colour and flavour. I was lucky to be sent a bottle of the 2016 vintage, a wine that has 97/100 points from James Suckling and which the winemaker states will be perfect for drinking some four to six years after harvest. So, why not open it to pair with my own hybrid Italian meal for New Year’s Eve.
The grilled lamb steaks that I’ve used for this meal come from Lake District Farmers. While some lamb leg steaks are bone-in, these have been deboned and are relatively thick cut so that one steak is the perfect size for one person at around 200g. I’m in the process of experimenting with a fabulous steak box they sent me. While there’s plenty of beef in the selection, the box also has a range of other meats – lamb, pork, veal and venison. This is just one of a series of recipes using the Lake District Farmers‘ Steak Box I was gifted which retails for £85. The box includes four lamb leg steak which I’ve used for this recipe in addition to beef sirloin, bavette, veal escalopes, venison haunch steak, pork escalopes and pork loin steaks. The meat all comes in vacuum packs so you can easily freeze it at home if you can’t eat it straight away. Lake District Farmers supply Herdwick lamb, a local heritage breed. The name is derived from the Old Norse ‘Herdvyck’ meaning sheep pasture and the sheep are popular with farmers because they can live entirely on forage from the Lake District. I found the meat particularly sweet and tender and hope that I can try some different cuts in the future.
Leg of lamb steaks are relatively lean and best grilled or pan-fried. I’ve marinated mine in herbs, garlic and olive oil and tried sous-vide simply to make the final cooking faster. I’ve made this recipe both ways – with and without the use of the sous-vide. For the version without the sous-vide, I started the marinade in the morning, while the sous-vide version was just marinaded for an hour before an hour in the water bath. The advantage for me of the water bath method is that it tenderises the meat relatively quickly and it allows me to relax and not worry about when my guests are going to want to eat. You’ll need to spend about ten minutes more in the kitchen at the last minute for the version that doesn’t use the sous-vide and, since my kitchen is not on the same floor as my dining room, I love the ‘quick finish’ option of the sous-vide.
Lentils as it turns out, are believed to bring good luck by Italians (and in various other countries including Germany, Hungary and Brazil). Apparently, a tradition that dates back to ancient Rome, the lentils or lenticchie are supposed to look like Roman coins and pouchfuls were given by ancient Romans to friends and family on New Year’s Eve as a way to bring luck and prosperity for the year to come. The traditional dish in Italy for New Year’s Eve is of lentils served with cotechino, a slow-cooked spiced pork sausage. But, these Italian lentils are delicious cooked with a soffrito of onion, celery, and carrot, a little garlic and a handful of fresh herbs together with stock and a glass of dry white wine or vermouth. Without any meat, it’s is a tasty and warming meal. Add meat in the form of grilled lamb steak, spicy sausage or even a few spoons of cubed pancetta and you have a hearty and substantial dish – a veritable feast.
I’m particularly pleased with the pairing of a delicious Italian Super Tuscan wine with this dish. The sweet, full-flavoured lamb pairs beautifully with this berry-rich and delicious wine. It’s the kind of wine which really exemplifies ‘Super Tuscan’ and for me demonstrates why we should not necessarily pass the IGT denomination by. Retailing for around £37 from Independent wines, it’s the perfect prelude for 2021 – especially with my lentil-rich dish which, of course, should ensure that we all prosper in 2021.
Without further ado, here’s how to make my grilled lamb steaks with lentils. Do remember to open your Gaglioli wine half an hour or so before you want to eat so that the wine can breathe!
Italian style grilled lamb steaks served with lentils
- 2 medium Lamb steaks around 200g each, deboned
- 2 tbsp Olive OIl
- 2 cloves Garlic
- 2 sprigs Rosemary
- 2 sprigs Thyme
- 2 Bay Leaves
- 100 g Italian brown lentils or puy lentils
- 2 medium Carrots
- 1 medium Onion
- 1 stick Celery
- 1 tbsp Olive Oil
- 230 ml Stock or Water
- 60 ml Dry white wine or vermouth
- 2 sprigs Thyme
- 1 Bay Leaf
- Salt and pepper
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Make a marinade for the lamb with the olive oil, salt and pepper, garlic and herbs
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Rub the mixture well into the flesh of the lamb, cover and leave to rest for a minimum of 1 hour and up to 12 hours.
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If you are using a sous-vide, remove the lamb from the marinade and drain off some of the oil, reserving the herbs and garlic.
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To serve medium-rare, put the meat with the herbs and garlic into individual sous-vide bags and seal.
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Prepare the sous-vide to 56C and sous-vide for at least an hour
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Heat a cast-iron griddle or heavy-based frying pan
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If you are using the sous-vide, remove the meat and open the bags. drain off most of the liquid.
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If you've skipped the sous-vide, remove the meat from the marinade draining off most of the oil
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When the griddle is nice and hot, add the meat. It should sizzle nicely. Sous vide meat will need to be cooked on high for around a minute on each side.
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Meat which has not been cooked on the sous-vide should be cooked on high for one minute, then with the heat reduced for a further 4 minutes before turning and repeating 1 minute on high and 4 minutes on medium.
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Allow the meat to rest under a foil tent for 5 minutes before cutting into slices to serve.
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Follow the instructions on the packet for your lentils and soak if advised to do so.
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Peel the onion, carrot and garlic and chop all the vegetables into small dice (about 1/4 cm)
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Add the olive oil to a heavy-based casserole and heat over a medium temperature (don't let it smoke!)
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Add all the vegetables and herbs, season well with pepper and toss them in the oil. Heat, stirring frequently, for around 10 minutes till the vegetables are softening a little but not coloured. Do not add salt at this stage
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Add the wine and let it sizzle to evaporate
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Add the lentils and stock.
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Bring the mixture to the boil and reduce the temperature to simmer.
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I use Bartoli Lenticchie which take 20 minutes to cook and don't need to be soaked, but you should follow the directions for the lentils you are using.
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If necessary add a little water to the mixture as it cooks. You are aiming to end up with a lentil stew that doesn't need to be drained, so don't add too much
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Once the lentils are cooked, taste and add salt and more pepper as appropriate.
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Serve the lentils in a shallow bowl with the lamb slices on top.
More information on Lake District Farmers is available from their website. Their meat can be ordered for delivery nationwide and in addition to preselected boxes, they also offer cook at home kits from leading chefs and ‘build your own’ boxes.
You can buy Gagliole Super Tuscan from the specialist Italian wine distributor Independent Wine, who offer free next day delivery of premium Italian wines across the UK
More information about Gagliole winery and their wines can be found on their website. While at the moment we can’t travel, they also have a luxury villa, La Valetta, where you can stay and explore.
This recipe looks delicious i sometimes wish I was a better cook