THE STORY OF A LAMB DISH: FROM THE KITCHEN OF CHEF MRINAL GHOSAL
Beef + Lamb New Zealand Ambassador Chef Mrinal Ghosal is the executive head chef at Mudbrick Vineyard on Waiheke Island. His philosophy on cooking with New Zealand lamb is to keep the cuts simple but innovate with flavours to highlight the processes behind the lamb itself.
“Lamb has already been on an incredible journey from the farm so as the chef and end user of the product, I like to build on the work the farmer has already done. Experimenting and innovating with flavours and ingredients to complement the lamb and using some of the lesser known cuts is a great way to do this.”
Mrinal’s skill and passion comes through in his latest menu offering which was actually a dish he crafted for his Ambassador Series Collaboration Dinner which he held last year. Mrinal said the dinner was a great opportunity to test out a new dish which he has since fine tuned and now has a starring role on the menu at Mudbrick Restaurant.
His orginal dish featured a perfectly cooked Lumina Lamb loin, served with a delicate lamb shoulder dumpling wrapped in fresh nasturtium leaves picked from Mudbrick Vineyard’s gardens. Mrinal enhanced the flavours with a shiitake mushroom ketchup, a layer of hand-picked native Lion’s Mane mushrooms from the Hawke’s Bay, and a dusting of dried Shiitake mushrooms.
The loin is carefully sliced and dressed with a delicate fermented buttermilk – an in-house specialty reminiscent of a garam, made from fermenting soy sauce and buttermilk.
Foraged samphire introduces a hint of salinity from the coast, which pairs beautifully with the rich, sweet crayfish bisque.
Inspired by the natural blend of ocean and hills on Waiheke Island, Mrinal’s dish balances surf and turf, with each ingredient carefully chosen to complement the lamb’s beautiful flavour.
Mrinal’s dish is a true celebration of New Zealand’s local ingredients, showcasing the quality of grass-fed New Zealand lamb in every element. It’s a perfect way for visitors to Mudbrick to celebrate the quality and flavour of New Zealand lamb for National Lamb Day.
Mrinal’s refined lamb dish is now on the menu at Mudbrick Restaurant and features a Lumina lamb loin, cigar of lamb shoulder and Kawakawa.