Lamb Tortellini with Smoked Whey and Apple

INGREDIENTS

For the lamb:

• 1.7kg The Meat Club butterflied lamb
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 carrot, chopped
• 1 stick of celery, chopped
• 5 cloves garlic, chopped
• 2 sprigs thyme, chopped
• 250ml white wine
• 20 fresh pasta sheets, cut in half (or 40 wonton pastry sheets)

For the lamb farce:

• 200g feta
• 100g pine nuts, toasted
• 500g aubergine pulp
• 20g mint, chopped
• 50g lemon juice

For the smoked whey:

• 100g double cream
• 100g full cream milk
• 50g buttermilk
• 100ml lemon juice
• 100ml extra virgin olive oil

PREPARATION

1. Take the butterflied lamb and season with salt and pepper. In alarge heavy pan on medium heat, sear the lamb until goldenbrown. Remove from pot and set aside.
2. Add the carrots, onions, celery and garlic to the pot. Toss the vegetables until golden brown. Return the lamb to the pot.
3. Add the white wine to the pot, then cover with water, and cook for 3-4 hours at 140 degrees or until the lamb is tender and falling apart.
4. In the meantime, cut the aubergines in half, lengthways and brush with olive oil. Cook in the oven until golden brown. Scrape the pulp out and set aside.
5. Remove the lamb from the stock, allow to cool then flake the meat with your hands or a fork. Meanwhile, reduce the stock to a thick consistency. Then add the stock to the lamb.
6. Mix the lamb with the feta, pine nuts, mint, aubergine pulp and 20ml of the lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper and moldinto roughly 10g balls ready for the tortellini.
7. For the whey, heat all ingredients to 88 degrees (as it hits this temperature, the ingredients it will start to separate), then strain the whey through a sieve and keep the liquid.
8. Mix the liquid with the remaining lemon juice and extra virgin olive oil.
9. Garnish the tortellini with thinly shaved apple, fresh mint and pine nuts then pour over the smoked whey.