Interesting stuffing - or tart filler?

[jeral Profile]

The Hairy Bikers made a triple crown of lamb today 22nd BBC2 3.45pm. The stuffing has a lot of ingredients in and when placed in the centre of the crown looked like the texture of ratatouille. Has anyone tried a mix like this in a tartlet or on a puff pastry traybake?
http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/tripl ... t_of_08690

Incidentally, the HB's used a russet apple "or any eating apple" rather than a pear noted in the recipe.

I'm thinking one could enhance it nutritionally, perhaps tofu somehow (I'm not good at tofu) or cashews and some broccoli florets - although the mix is fairly substantial as written TBH. What do you think?

---

@ Dena, they used the mini chef caps on the lamb racks and said a butcher might give you some if you're lucky. Whether that would only work if the butcher did the French trimming that you pay for or maybe for "good customers". Worth asking.

I remember that in early veggie days, they used to make nut cutlets to look like lamb chops. I forget what the "bone" was made of and it's annoying me now

[Mrs Vee Profile]

Hi Jeral - the sound of that stuffing isn't doing it for me, I'm afraid; it sounds more like a mixed fruit chutney rather than what I would think of as stuffing.

If I was going to adjust the stuffing recipe I’d add some wholemeal breadcrumbs to bind it together and add plenty of ground walnuts and brazils to give it a bit more substance. Pack the whole thing into a loaf tin and make a nut roast of it; could be nice as the main event for a veggie roast dinner with the minted red wine sauce.

**I think the ‘bone’ for the veggie cutlets was made from a piece of penne pasta!

[jeral Profile]

I think it's supposed to have some historic significance, although it didn't "sound right" to me with all that lot in for two or three lamb medallions. They showed fine green beans and carrots to serve and the crown did look a lot better than the photo portrays.

The onion cumin cranberries for lamb, not sure about the rest, not like I'd know.

As a veggie dish, I'd probably skip the cranberries and add sage (I'm a sage freak with apple and onion, and mushrooms come to that) into the mix and perhaps make it as a samosa in brik/filo or mini Cornish pasty format. I'd probably use a tamari-based dip rather than the red wine & mint jus, although a sweet chilli might suit (but I don't like it so just guessing).

Can I ask, don't you and yours find nutloaf cloying/claggy, especially with nuts in? (That's not a deliberate contradiction in terms as can make "nutloaf" with chickpeas, lentils whatever.)

[karadekoolaid Profile]

I think the stuffing is totally absurd. What is the point of mixing together apples, pears, lemons, oranges, cranberries, apricots AND raisins? Which fruit is going to be most dominant? Which will really complement the lamb? Plus there's a combo of sweet spices which makes the lamb vaguely Morrocan, but not so.
So what IS this dish? It's a mish-mash of fruit and spices which, IMHO, will only detract from the lamb.
Could I use it elsewhere? Yep. It'd make great compost

[Mrs Vee Profile]

Can I ask, don't you and yours find nutloaf cloying/claggy, especially with nuts in? (That's not a deliberate contradiction in terms as can make "nutloaf" with chickpeas, lentils whatever.)

I know what you mean about ‘claggy’ – I have the same problem with lentil roasts. I’ve never found a lentil roast that works for us, but if you have a good one I’d be interested in the recipe.

It’s not a problem I have with nut roast, though; I don’t grind the nuts too finely, a few chunky bits are good, and I always use wholemeal breadcrumbs or it can get a bit too paté-like. I’d been veggie for more than 10 years before I made my first nut roast; it just wasn’t something that appealed to me and it also has that awful ‘worthy’ hippy 60s connotation that I find irritating. It took me ages (and a few failures!) to make one that I was happy with; I now stick to pretty much the same recipe all the time.

[jeral Profile]

Thanks Mrs Vee. I'll perhaps give nutloaf another go and scout out then compare some recipes. I don't like wholemeal but love granary bread so that could make a difference.

No lentil recipes as they're not really my cup of tea, although a green lentil and cubed potato, onion and cumin pan-fried hash make a good side dish or quick(ish) snack.

The penne pasta "bone" made me chuckle; I remember it was something notably silly and had it in my mind it was a white drinking straw, but a penne pasta would be far superior