StarChefs 2022 Mentor Chef Lee Gregory of Southbound, Alewife and Odyssey Fish took inspiration for his restaurant week featured dish from the changing seasons in the DC/Chesapeake region, and in looking to balance the richness of the lamb. “We typically serve lamb in pasta dishes,” says Gregory, “so serving up a big hunky portion of lamb like this was a fun change of pace for our team and our guests.”
Chef keeps it clean and simple, letting the natural flavor of the pasture-raised Australian lamb shoulder shine. It’s cooked sous vide overnight with just a bit of garlic, thyme and a bay leaf. Then it’s ready to be portioned and finished for service. At pickup, it gets a bit of char on the hardwood charcoal grill alongside some persian cucumbers and pita. The cucumbers combine with a pomegranate-herb salad, and a smoked-olive oil whipped feta and a healthy dose of lemon and olive oil for a truly complementary, balanced plate.
“These days it’s critical to be able to get something to the plate easily and efficiently, and this is a great example. Show off a really good, sustainable product that’s easy to plate and get to the dining room. Our BOH team loved the consistency in portion, texture and flavor that we got from every piece of the Australian lamb shoulder. Consistent product is a huge win.”
So how did it go over during restaurant week?
"People loved this dish; I always like the idea of giving guests an opportunity to engage with the plate, getting to make their own bites with the pita, lamb and accompaniments adds to the experience and makes for a successful dish.”
Good onya chef, and congrats on being selected as the Mentor Award Winner!