Award-Winning Lamb Nachos

If ES can do anything, we can make bar food appetizing, and we can make it win competitions. Yes, really.

After you all voted for Russell’s Welsh Rarebit Lamb Nachos, he was paired with Chef John Critchley of Urbana to help perfect the dish for the big event, and perfect it he did. Russell and John took the nachos and turned them into, well…really fucking fancy nachos.

We headed to the Lamb Pro-Am after a hearty breakfast at Urbana (read: bottomless champagne). I stocked up on Lamb swag, then sampled beer while Russell and John served the masses their delicious, cheesy, fancy-looking nachos.

Here is Russell and John’s award-winning recipe!

Slow Roasted Lamb Nachos with Welsh Rarebit and Scallions

2lbs boneless leg of lamb
Good quality corn tortillas
One jalapeno
Red Wine
Cornstarch
1/2 cup sour cream
1 lime, zested and juiced
EVOO
Salt & Pepper
Welsh rarebit sauce (recipe follows)

First, make the chips. Pre-heat the oven to 250 degrees. We chose to bake our tortillas flat between two nonstick baking sheets after cutting them into rectangles about 1.5inches X 4 inches. Bake for 20 minutes or until crispy.

Then, turn up the oven to 325 degrees. Season the lamb with salt and pepper. In a large cast iron pan heat 2-3 tbsp of EVOO over high heat. Add the lamb and sear for 15-20 minutes, turning occasionally to ensure each side is browned. Place the lamb in the oven and roast for 1.5 – 2 hours. While the lamb is in the oven, prepare the welsh rarebit sauce (below). Then, remove the lamb from the oven and place on a chopping board to cool. With any luck, your lamb should be tender and the meat should just tear right off.

After the lamb is finished cooking, make a sauce using the lamb juices and red wine, to taste. Reduce, and add 2 tbs cornstarch mixed with 1 tbs cold water to thicken. Set aside.

Now, make the lime sour cream to spice up the flavors. Mix 1/2 cup sour cream with the zest and juice of one lime.

To assemble: on a large plate make a design with the sour cream. Then assemble the cheese mousse napoleons by putting two layers of mousse in between three layers of tortilla chips. We arranged the slices of lamb leg and garnished the plate with thin slices of radish, jalapeno and the sauce.

Welsh Rarebit Sauce
2 cups sharp cheddar cheese, grated (reserve about a 1/4 cup for topping)
About 2 cups of dark beer, porter or stout (I used Guinness)
1 tbsp mustard powder
1 tbsp Worcestershire Sauce
2 cups whipped heavy cream
2 tbsp flour
2 tbsp unsalted butter
coarse black pepper

Turn the broiler to high. In a saucepan melt the butter and stir in the flour, stir until mixed completely. Stir in the beer, Worcestershire sauce and mustard powder, bring to a simmer.

Slowly stir in the cheese until creamy the add the pepper. The mixture should be thick and have a light brown color to it. Chill sauce, then fold in the whipped heavy cream. This will make the cheese sauce light like a mousse. Then chill and transfer to a pastry bag with a medium tip.