Crispy Mongolian lamb

Crispy Mongolian lamb

Braise lamb breast with aromatics then grill until crisp and serve with noodles for a cheap but chic meal for two

Difficulty and servings

Easy

Serves 2

Preparation and cooking times

Preparation time

Prep 10 mins

Cook time

Cook 3 hrs

Freezable

Freeze cooked lamb only

Method

  1. Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Put the lamb in a casserole dish with a lid. Add remaining ingredients plus enough water to just cover. Cook with the lid on for 3 hrs until the meat is tender and the bones pull out easily. Allow to cool still covered in the cooking liquid with the lid on. You can do this 1-2 days in advance and let the lamb cool completely in the fridge. This will make the next step easier.
  2. When cold, lift the lamb out of the liquid and transfer to a baking tray. Skim fat from the sauce. Reserve half the sauce for the noodles (in 'Try' section, below) and bubble the rest, still in the pan, until thick and syrupy. Pour into a small serving bowl. Heat grill to medium and grill lamb until crisp and hot through, but not too dark.
  3. Shred the lamb, discarding most of the fat and all the bones, but keep the nice, crisp skin. You can cut the skin off first and leave it in a hot oven while you shred the rest of the meat. To serve, take everything to the table and eat the lamb rolled up in the lettuce leaves with the cucumber, spring onions and sauce, plus the noodles on the side.
Try

Serve with stir-fried noodles

Cook 2 blocks medium egg noodles following pack instructions, then drain. Heat 1 tbsp sunflower oil in a wok or frying pan and throw in a handful beansprouts and 1 sliced red chilli. Cook for 1 min then add a ladleful of the reserved cooking liquid from the lamb. Add the noodles to the pan with 2 sliced spring onions, tossing well to combine. Stir-fry for 1-2 mins on a high heat until all the noodles are coated in the sauce.

PER SERVING

643 kcalories, protein 54g, carbohydrate 21g, fat 36 g, saturated fat 18g, fibre 0g, sugar 20g, salt 5.3 g

Recipe from Good Food magazine, March 2011.

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Latest comments and suggestions

  • Binder photo Girl Flower

    23 February 2011

    Girl Flower commented on this recipe

    Does it have to be made using breast of lamb? I can't find this cut anywhere but would love to try this recipe. What could I use instead and would I have to change the cooking times? Any advice would be good! Thanks.

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  • Binder photo lesleydee

    26 February 2011

    lesleydee commented on this recipe

    My butcher was very interested in what I intended to do with a breast of lamb as it was asked for so rarely - gave him such a rave review about it he is going to make it himself. This is well worth a try, the lamb was so tender and the sauce so tasty. When the weather gets better I think this would be great finished off on the barbque instead of under the grill. Would also be good with chinese pancakes instead of the lettuce.

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  • Binder photo Katie

    02 March 2011

    Katie commented on this recipe

    I actually spotted breast of lamb in Morrisons supermarket last night. I bought some and have stuck it in the freezer until I get the rest of the ingredients to make this. Can't wait to try it!

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  • Binder photo Katie

    02 March 2011

    Katie commented on this recipe

    To Girl Flower - you could use pork belly if you can't get hold of lamb breast.

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  • Binder photo Heidi

    04 March 2011

    Heidi commented on this recipe

    I saw some rolled breast of lamb in Asda this week. It wasn't stuffed so I'm intending to buy some when I next go in. Wish I'd had this recipe a couple of years ago when I bought a half hogget, the breast was very disappointing in the recipe I used at the time. I'll let you know the results...

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  • Binder photo Heidi

    09 March 2011

    Heidi rated and commented on this recipe

    2 stars

    Disappointing. I was so excited by the thought of this dish but I was so sadly disappointed. It came out crispy but there was just so much fat in the lamb it was really coating to the mouth and not in a nice way. The sauce was also far too salty. I couldn't reduce it until syrupy because the saltiness was ridiculous. I thickened it with cornflour but it still didn't help. It needs something acidic to cut through the fat I think. Maybe there would be a dish there if you adjusted the flavours or swapped for pork belly or duck... Or maybe that would just be making a different dish altogether. Nice idea but just didn't deliver.

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  • Binder photo Fairview

    18 April 2011

    Fairview rated and commented on this recipe

    5 stars

    Finished off on the BBQ and served with a salad. Absolutley delicious!!

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  • Binder photo Katie

    01 May 2011

    Katie rated and commented on this recipe

    3 stars

    Definitely one for the pressure cooker. I cooked the lamb in the liquid at high pressure for 35 minutes then let the pressure release naturally. I couldn't get rice wine so used dry sherry. I agree with Heidi; lamb breast is very fatty and took me ages to strip the meat away from the bones and fat. And yes, the sauce needs some work - it is too salty if you simply boil it down until its syrupy. I also seemed to manage to use every pan and utensil going whilst preparing this, not to mention the lamb grease which ended up coating everything. There was a lot of greasy washing-up. I wasn't convinced about wrapping the lamb in lettuce leaves so dug some tortilla wraps out of the cupboard. My husband loved it. It was nice and I'll make it again I imagine (with tweaks). Just not in a hurry.

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  • Binder photo pen@collybro

    12 June 2011

    pen@collybro rated and commented on this recipe

    5 stars

    Delicicous! You need to keep the lamb warm on a table heater (like those for chinese meals). Instead of lettuce, I served it with chinese pancakes - makes a very acceptable substitute for Peking Duck.

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  • Binder photo Montys mum

    13 July 2011

    Montys mum commented on this recipe

    Where can I find Shaohsing rice wine? Is it rice wine vinegar or sake?? I tried this at a local restaurant and loved it so I hope this is one and the same recipe but want to get the right ingredients...

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  • Binder photo zhagan

    12 August 2011

    zhagan rated and commented on this recipe

    4 stars

    a new favourite in our house

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  • Binder photo Loyalsmiler

    14 August 2011

    Loyalsmiler commented on this recipe

    Most supermarkets now sell breast of lamb, I find it easier to open out the rolled breast of lamb then roast/BBQ it as this lets the fat drain away whilst cooking.

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  • Binder photo Biggedd

    26 February 2013

    Biggedd rated and commented on this recipe

    5 stars

    I used a left over leg of lamb from Sundays joint. It was a big leg and there are only the two of us. It was cooked, but I boiled it for 2.5 hours in a saucepan with the lid on, the rest was as the recipe. The liquid did not cover but I turned the joint a couple of times. It was absolutely fabulous. The meat tendered up and fell off the bone. I did use half a can of lager for the stock. I used fresh egg noodles from tesco for a bed for the lamb, boiled the stock down to next to nothing and what a fantastic sauce. Used some rich Housin sauce from a bottle I had, poured over the onion and cucumber I would rate this as a 10 if possible.

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Difficulty and servings

Easy

Serves 2

Preparation and cooking times

Preparation time

Prep 10 mins

Cook time

Cook 3 hrs

Freezable

Freeze cooked lamb only

Ingredients

  • 1 breast of lamb , about 750g
  • thumb-size piece ginger
  • 2 garlic cloves , crushed
  • 6 tbsp dark soy sauce
  • 1 tbsp Chinese five-spice powder
  • 150ml Shaohsing rice wine
  • 2 tbsp soft light brown sugar

TO SERVE

  • 1 round lettuce , leaves separated
  • 3 spring onions , cut into finger-length pieces then shredded
  • ¼ cucumber , cut into matchsticks
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PER SERVING

643 kcalories, protein 54g, carbohydrate 21g, fat 36 g, saturated fat 18g, fibre 0g, sugar 20g, salt 5.3 g

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