The day before, remove the 2 eyes of meat from each pair of best ends; this should give you four strips of meat, 15cm/6 inches long by 4cm/1½-1¾ inches wide at the fat end and 2.5cm/1-1¼ inches at the other. Remove the thin layer of sinew from the eyes of meat. Leave covered until needed.
Sautéed Fillet of Lamb with Scallops and a Scallop Mousse
Of all the dishes I ever devised this one has to be the one that I will be remembered for. My signature dish! Or at least one of them. Strangely enough after it appeared in A Feast of Fish 1 I hardly ever had it on the menu again. If a dish is good it will go on and on I suppose it is a bit like the good music from any era, it will always survive no matter how trends alter. At the time I first started putting this dish on my menus, around 1982, an objection to it was always the fact that it combines meat with fish. Not good as far as the purists are concerned I suppose. I would still have that problem today I am sure, but then no one can please everyone all of the time!
Yield: Serves 8
Method
Scallop Mousse
Clean and wash the scallops, then dry them thoroughly.
Place the white scallop meat and salt in a food processor and blend until smooth. Add the egg white and blend again until thoroughly combined.
Rub the mixture through a sieve into a bowl set over crushed ice.
Gradually add two-thirds of the cream, then stir in the vermouth and a little ground pepper.
Test the mousse by dropping a small amount into water that is just off the boil. If the cooked mousse is very rubbery, add a little more cream and test again until the texture is correct.
On the day, preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/gas 4.
Shell, trim and wash the scallops, then dry them well.
Blanch the spinach in boiling salted water for a few seconds. Refresh in iced water, drain and dry on a cloth.
Line eight buttered 40–50ml/1½–2 fl oz moulds with spinach, leaving enough overhang to enclose the mousse.
Fill each mould with scallop mousse, fold over the spinach and cover with buttered foil.
Cook the moulds in a bain-marie for 8–10 minutes. Remove them and increase the oven to 190°C/375°F/gas 5.
Remove the roes from each scallop and set aside. Slice each nut of white meat into 5 slices across the scallop. Cut each eye of lamb across in half, giving two pieces about 7.5cm/3 inches long.
Heat the oil and butter in a frying pan until sizzling.
Season the lamb fillets and gently sauté, turning once or twice, for 6–8 minutes until cooked. Remove, cover and keep warm.
In the remaining fat, gently fry the scallop slices for 3 seconds on each side and the reserved roes for about 5 seconds on each side. Remove, cover and keep warm.
Pour off the fat, add the white wine and reduce until almost evaporated.
Add the veal stock and tarragon and reduce by half. Add the cream and reduce until thickened, then check the seasoning and strain.
Reheat the lamb and scallops in the hot oven for about 2 minutes, then slice each piece of lamb into 6.
Divide the sauce between the plates and arrange the sliced lamb in a straight line just off-centre.
Place 5 scallop slices beside the lamb and a roe beside the scallops.
Turn out the mousses, cut a wedge from each and arrange the mousse and wedge beside the roes.
Finish with a few tarragon leaves, if available.