This is one of those dishes where simple ingredients are made to do the hard work. The lamb rump is seasoned generously and seared until beautifully caramelised on the outside while keeping the centre tender and pink. I like to finish it with garlic, rosemary and butter, giving the lamb that rich, aromatic finish without masking its natural flavour.
Alongside it, I’ve gone for classic fondant potatoes — golden and crisp on the outside, buttery and soft in the centre. The broccoli brings a fresh, slightly bitter contrast to the richness of the lamb and jus, keeping the plate balanced.
The finishing touch is a deep, glossy lamb jus, reduced slowly with red wine, stock and aromatics until concentrated, rich and full of flavour. It’s a classic combination, but when each element is cooked properly, it needs very little else.
Ingredients — 2 portions
Lamb
- 2 lamb rumps, approximately 180–220g each
- 1 tbsp vegetable or rapeseed oil
- 30g butter
- 2 garlic cloves, lightly crushed
- 2 sprigs rosemary
- Salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
Lamb jus
- 300ml good-quality lamb stock
- 100ml red wine
- 1 small shallot, finely sliced
- 1 garlic clove, crushed
- 1 small sprig rosemary
- 1 tsp tomato purée
- 10g cold butter
- Salt, to taste
- Black pepper, to taste
Optional: 1 tsp redcurrant jelly for a very subtle sweetness and acidity.
Fondant potatoes
- 2 large floury potatoes
- 30g butter
- 150ml chicken or vegetable stock
- 1 garlic clove
- 1 sprig thyme or rosemary
- Salt
- Black pepper
Broccoli
- 250–300 g broccoli
- 10g butter
- Salt
- Black pepper
- Small squeeze of lemon juice
Method
Prepare the lamb
Take the lamb out of the fridge around 20–30 minutes before cooking.
Trim away any excess sinew and silver skin, but keep the fat cap intact.
Score the fat lightly in a crosshatch pattern, being careful not to cut into the meat.
Season generously with salt and black pepper.
Make the lamb jus
This can be made ahead while you prepare the rest of the dish.
- Add a small amount of oil to a saucepan over medium-high heat.
- Add the shallot and garlic and cook until lightly caramelised.
- Add the tomato purée and cook for about 1 minute.
- Pour in the red wine and reduce by roughly two-thirds.
- Add the lamb stock and rosemary.
- Bring to a gentle simmer and reduce until you have a rich, concentrated jus.
- Pass through a fine sieve.
- Return to the pan and reduce further if necessary.
You want enough reduction to coat the back of a spoon, rather than something thin and watery.
Just before serving, whisk in the cold butter to give the jus a glossy finish.
Chef’s tip: Don’t season the jus heavily until the reduction is finished. As the liquid reduces, the salt concentration increases.
Fondant potatoes
- Peel the potatoes and cut them into even cylinders or chunky rectangular pieces.
- Rinse briefly and pat completely dry.
- Season with salt and pepper.
- Heat a frying pan over medium-high heat and add the butter with a little oil.
- Place the potatoes into the pan and colour them on all sides until deep golden brown.
- Add the garlic and thyme/rosemary.
- Pour in enough stock to come roughly halfway up the potatoes.
- Transfer to a 180°C oven.
- Cook for approximately 25–35 minutes, turning once if necessary.
The finished potatoes should have a beautiful golden exterior while a knife slides through the centre effortlessly.
If the stock evaporates before they’re cooked, add a little more.
Cook the lamb rump
This is where you want to take your time.
- Heat a heavy frying pan until properly hot.
- Add a little oil.
- Place the lamb fat-side down first.
- Render the fat slowly until golden and crisp. Don’t rush this stage.
- Once the fat is nicely rendered, sear the other sides until deeply caramelised.
- Add the butter, crushed garlic, and rosemary.
- Baste the lamb continuously with the foaming butter.
For a nice medium-rare finish, aim for approximately:
52–54°C core temperature when removed from the pan, allowing it to rise during resting.
For medium:
56–58°C when removed.
Transfer the lamb to a warm plate or rack and rest for 5–8 minutes.
Don’t skip the resting period — it gives you much juicier lamb and makes slicing cleaner.
Cook the broccoli
Keep this simple.
- Cut the broccoli into attractive florets.
- Blanch in well-salted boiling water for approximately 2–3 minutes, depending on size.
- Transfer briefly to iced water if you’re preparing ahead.
- Drain thoroughly.
- Just before serving, heat a little butter in a pan.
- Add the broccoli and toss until hot and lightly glazed.
- Finish with a tiny squeeze of lemon juice.
You want the broccoli bright green with some bite, rather than soft and overcooked.
Plating
For your style of plating, I’d keep it clean and fairly elegant.
- Place the fondant potato slightly off-centre.
- Slice the lamb rump into 2–3 thick slices and arrange beside or slightly overlapping the potato.
- Add the broccoli in a compact group rather than scattering it around the plate.
- Spoon the lamb jus around the lamb, rather than drowning everything in it.
- Finish the lamb with a little of the rosemary butter from the pan.
If you want an extra restaurant touch, a few tiny rosemary leaves or a couple of very small broccoli leaves can work, but honestly, the dish doesn’t need much garnish.
Timing
| Element | Time |
|---|---|
| Jus | 30–40 min |
| Potato preparation | 10 min |
| Fondant potatoes | 30–35 min |
| Lamb cooking | 8–12 min |
| Lamb resting | 5–8 min |
| Broccoli | 3–5 min |
| Total | ~50–60 min |
🌡️ Lamb temperature guide
| Doneness | Remove from pan | Final after resting |
|---|---|---|
| Rare | 48–50°C | 50–52°C |
| Medium-rare | 52–54°C | 54–56°C |
| Medium | 56–58°C | 58–60°C |
| Medium-well | 60–62°C | 62–64°C |
For lamb rump, medium-rare is my choice. You get that beautiful pink centre while still developing plenty of colour and flavour on the outside.
Nutritional information
Approximate per serving, assuming 200g lamb rump per person and the stated quantities:
- Calories: ~700–750 kcal
- Protein: ~50–55g
- Fat: ~40–45g
- Carbohydrates: ~40–45g
- Fibre: ~6–7g
- Sugars: ~3–5g
- Saturates: ~17–20g
- Salt: ~1.5–2.5g
The actual numbers will vary considerably depending on the size and fat content of the lamb, how much butter is absorbed, and how much jus is consumed.
Chef’s notes
The key to this dish is contrast: crisp lamb fat against tender pink meat, crispy-edged fondant potato against its buttery centre, and rich jus against fresh, slightly bitter broccoli.
And one thing I’d definitely avoid: overcomplicating it. You’ve already got lamb, rosemary, garlic, butter, stock, and red wine bringing plenty of flavour. The plate will look and taste more professional if you let those core elements speak for themselves.
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