Business Times - 11 Apr 2009
GUEST CHEF
Easter celebration
Jean-Charles Dubois is going all out to prepare a classic French Easter meal this weekend. By Cheah Ui-Hoon
CHEF Jean-Charles Dubois brings his forefinger and thumb, pinched together, to his lips for a loud, smacking kiss - in that universal gesture indicating that something is divinely delicious.
In this case, it's lamb from Mont St Michel, near Brittany. 'Because Mont St Michel is near the coast, the lambs graze on grass and marshes infused with the scents of the sea,' he waxes lyrical.
This in turn permeates the lamb's meat, and flavours it, making Mont St Michel lambs famous for their natural saltiness.
And lambs from the rocky islet with its monastery perched on top is favourable fare for Easter as well, because they're seen as blessed and 'holier', perhaps, than lambs from any other part of the country - during this season especially. Those who know their Christian history will of course see the allusion to Jesus Christ as lamb of God, led to the slaughter on Good Friday.
But just as you declare that you're coming to Chef Dubois' restaurant for Easter Sunday lunch so you can partake of the L'Agneau pre-sale lamb, he informs you that Singapore doesn't import meat from France except for poultry, so he's using lamb from New Zealand instead.
'But yes, I told you this so you know that lamb is the quintessential Easter meal in France. Absolutely traditional,' he affirms.
Which is why he's serving roast rack of lamb as one of the entrees tomorrow for The French Kitchen's Easter meal.
His choice of New Zealand lamb is because the meat is free-range, grass-eating, and also because New Zealand farmers let their lambs grow a bit older, to about 18 months. 'It's very good - a little fatty, without too gamey a flavour,' he says.
Once you have good meat like that, cooking it requires little effort. 'For this recipe, you just have to rub in sea salt, olive oil, raw garlic and rosemary,' he explains.
While some might blend the ingredients and pour them over the lamb, Chef Dubois says you should rub them in with your hands instead, giving the lamb a massage as you work in the marinade.
'That way, the oil and the ingredients don't just drip off the lamb, and when salt is massaged in, for instance, this gives a crispness to the skin,' he says.
While leg or shoulder of lamb is traditionally used for Easter meals, he's serving a rack of lamb because it can be plated individually. For this occasion - the first Easter meal that he's serving at The French Kitchen since he opened it two months ago - the former chef of Raffles Grill has even brought back an antique French meatblock, from which he'll be serving his meat tomorrow.
If you're wondering how to get the cut you want for a particular dish, Chef Dubois' tip is that you should tell the butcher what you're cooking and how you're cooking it. 'If it's for pan-searing, he might recommend the rack; for a confit, the shoulder; for chargrill, the saddle. A good butcher should be able to choose the best meat for your dish so you should be specific about your cooking times and methods.'
As for the accompanying dishes, Chef Dubois is making ratatouille using a mix of 'Oriental' vegetables such as eggplant, zucchini, and red peppers. 'These are very much the flavours of the Orient,' he explains.
And there are also chickpeas, which are very much part of the diet in Israel and the Middle East. His advice is to soak the chickpeas and leave them in the fridge. 'In France, you can leave them out in the kitchen, but over here, when the weather is so humid, the water can turn very fast and the peas ferment,' he says.
To complete the Easter theme, Chef Dubois will also be serving hot cross buns. With an omelette as a starter as well, the good chef is going all out to put together a classic French Easter meal this weekend.
Rack of spring lamb with ratatouille and chickpeas
Serves 4
Lamb:
Rack of lamb 400gm
Garlic 10gm, olive oil 50cl
Rosemary 10gm, port wine 20cl
Salt, pepper
Ratatouille:
Tomato 4pcs, onion 2pcs
Zucchini 1pc, fennel 1pc
Red capsicum 1pc
Chickpeas:
Dry chickpeas 100gm
Olive oil 20cl,
carrot 1pc, onion 1/2 pc
Method:
1. Choose a top quality rack of lamb from your butcher. Baste the meat with a mixture of chopped garlic, rosemary and oil. Sear the rack of lamb in a roasting tray and bake in the oven for 15 mins at 180°C to medium rare doneness.
2. For the ratatouille slice all vegetables to the same size of approx 0.5 cm. Sweat the onion in olive oil and transfer to an oven tray. Arrange the sliced vegetables on top of the onion with alternating colours, season with salt and pepper, and drizzle with olive oil. Cover with tin foil and bake in the oven for 20 mins at 160°C.
3. Soak the chickpeas in water for eight hours before cooking. Rinse and cook slowly in salted water with the carrot, onion and black pepper for two hours until soft. Drain.
4. For the sauce, remove the rack of lamb from the baking tray with port wine, add rosemary and some water and reduce.
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