Try These Classic French Recipes from Leeds Bistro Bavette
Named the UK's Best Local Restaurant just four months after opening, Bavette is the unassuming bistro that takes its food seriously
Bavette’s Braised Lamb Shoulder and Boulangère Potatoes
- For the braised lamb shoulder
- Whole shoulder
- 1 bottle red wine
- 2 litres stock (beef/lamb/chicken)
- 1.5kg broad beans
- For the salsa verde
- 1 bunch basil
- 1 bunch tarragon
- 1 bunch mint
- 1 bunch flat leaf parsley
- 6 salted anchovies
- 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
- 1 tbsp red wine vinegar
- 100ml extra virgin olive oil
- For the boulangère potatoes
- (recipe for a 10cm-diameter dish)
- 3 onions
- 3 sprigs thyme
- 3 potatoes (désirée preferably)
- Couple cubes of butter
- Splash stock (beef/lamb/chicken)
To make the braised lamb shoulder, heat oven to 220C.
Roast lamb in oven to get good colour for 10–20 minutes.
Bring wine and stock to boil and cover the lamb. Bring oven to 150C and cook for four hours.
When the lamb has cooled, roll it into a large sausage shape in cling film. Allow to cool and set in the fridge. Reduce the braising liquor to a rich broth.
Cut the lamb into discs two-centimetres thick, remove the cling film, gently colour in the pan, and reheat in oven.
Poach the pod broads beans, peas and other seasonal vegetables in broth until cooked.
To make the salsa verde, finely chop all herbs and anchovies and mix together. Add the mustard and olive oil.
Add the vinegar, little by little, stirring and tasting as you go.
To make the boulangère potatoes, thinly slice onions, and cook down slowly in vegetable oil until soft and gaining colour.
Thinly slice potatoes on mandolin and put a layer of potatoes in a dish. Add a layer of onions.
Repeat and then add the final layer of potatoes. Add butter and enough stock to just cover potatoes.
Bake in 150C oven for 45 minutes.
Bavette’s Onion Tartlette with Chicory
- For the shortcrust pastry
- 300g plain flour
- 125g butter, diced, cold
- 1 egg yolk
- 1 tbsp cold water
- For the filling
- 3 onions, sliced
- 6 sprigs thyme
- 75g butter
- 350ml double cream
- 2 yolks
- 1 egg
To make the shortcrust pastry, mix the flour and butter. Add yolk and water. Bring together to form dough, don’t overwork it. Rest in the fridge in a flat round shape for 30 minutes.
Roll out on well-floured work surface and line party ring (reserve extra pastry). Blind bake for 30 minutes until lightly coloured.
Fill any holes with reserved pastry. Egg wash and cook for two further minutes.
To make the filling, sweat down onions very slowly in butter. Cook until soft and translucent. Add a splash of water if they colour before they’re soft. This should take 30 minutes.
Once soft, turn up the heat to colour and add thyme. Mix cream and eggs. Add onions into cream and eggs and mix well.
Evenly fill tart case with the filling mixture. Cook in oven 150C until light wobble, usually 25 minutes. Allow to lightly cool.
This is delicious with a mustard-heavy salad or chicory.
Bavette’s Shellfish Bisque
- 1kg shells of langoustine or crab
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 2 onions diced
- 4 carrot cut in 1cm slices
- 1 fennel roughly chopped
- 1 bulb garlic in half
- 1 tbsp coriander seeds
- 1 tbsp fennel seeds
- 2 tbsp tomato puree
- 50ml brandy
- 1L double cream
To make the shellfish bisque, heat oven to 180C. Roast shells in oven for 25 minutes.
Heat large casserole pan, add olive oil. Sweat onions then add carrots and sweat further. Repeat with fennel.
Add garlic and seeds to toast, then add tomato puree and cook out for two minutes. Add brandy and cook off the alcohol.
Cover with water and lightly simmer for 45 minutes. Skim off any foam.
Pass through sieve (can get a stick blender in there to break things up if you like but it’s not necessary).
Reduce stock until rich and delicious. Add equal amount of cream. Bring to boil and let flavours mix together for five minutes. Don’t reduce too much.
Reduce to single cream thickness. Delicious as a soup on its own or a sauce for mussels or any white fish. Stock is freezable before cream added.
