Spicy fig and lamb bacon rolls

Lamb bacon

To make the lamb bacon brine:

Using a frying pan, dry roast the black peppercorns, coriander seeds, fennel seeds and cumin seeds over a medium heat for 3 – 4 minutes.

Remove the spices from the pan and add to a large pot along with 1 litre of water, the brown sugar, flaky sea salt and pink Himalayan salt.

Bring the brine mixture to the boil whisking to dissolve the salt and sugar. Once they are dissolved add the remaining ingredients

Remove from the heat and add the remaining 3 litres of cold water and allow to cool to room temperature.

Place the lamb riblets in a plastic container (do not use a metal container), cover with the brine and marinate in the fridge for 24 hours.

Remove from the brine and cook the ribs using the braising method.

Braising of the lamb bacon:

Preheat the oven to 180°C.

Place the lamb ribs in a large casserole dish with the rib bones facing up. Add enough of the brining liquid into the casserole dish to just cover the ribs and place tinfoil over the container.

Place in the oven and cook for 2-3 hours until the ribs are tender and cooked through.

Remove the ribs from the braising liquid and place on a flat tray.

Allow to slightly cool and carefully pull each of the rib bones out of the meat. The deboned lamb ribs can be stored in the fridge until you need to make the lamb bacon.

Crisping up of the lamb bacon:

Preheat the oven to 180°C.

Place a sheet of baking paper on a flat tray and lay out the sliced deboned lamb rib meat, brush each side with liquid smoke.

Place another piece of baking paper on top and then another tray and something heavy such as a heavy ovenproof dish or fry pan. Pressing the lamb bacon as you cook it allows it to keep an even shape and come out thin and crispy.

Place the tray in oven and cook covered and weighted in oven until bacon is crispy.

This will take approximately 15-20 mins.

Dough

In a stand mixer bowl dissolve yeast in bone broth and sugar for 10 minutes until foamy.

Add the margarine, salt, vanilla, cinnamon, eggs, flour, chickpea flour and dried figs and knead well with a dough hook attachment for 10 minutes.

Dump onto a well-floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic approximately 2 minutes.

Let proof, covered, in a warm area until double in size, roughly an hour and a half.

Punch down and remove from the bowl.

Spicy fig and lamb bacon jam

Chop the lamb bacon into small pieces.

Pull the stems off the figs, then puree them in a food processor until smooth.

Transfer the fig paste to a medium-sized pot. Stir in the sugar, bone broth and place the chilies inside. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce heat to medium.

Cook until thickened and jammy, add the lamb bacon pieces, lemon juice, vanilla and salt and stir.

Set aside 60 g of the jam.

Assemble the apart bread rolls

Preheat the oven to 180°C with the rack in the middle.

Roll the yeasted dough on a floured surface into a rectangle roughly 30cmx45cm.

Spread the spicy fig & bacon jam evenly on the yeasted dough.

Roll the dough tightly to form a log starting with the longer side.

Cut the log into 9 equal pieces and place in a square baking tray.

Bake for 25 minutes until golden.

Take out the oven and let cool for 10 minutes.

Glaze with the remaining jam.

Glaze

Place 60 g of jam in a pot and add bone broth and sugar.

Simmer for 10 minutes until it becomes glossy and thickened.

Pour the glaze over the warm rolls and spread with spatula, then serve.

Supplied by Lamb and Mutton SA and supported by the Red Meat Industry of SA – Recipe by Thando Dlamini, images by Christo Harvey