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RECIPE

HERB CRUSTED RACK OF LAMB

This Jamie Oliver dish looks mightily impressive when served at a dinner party as Oliver himself enthuses: “Lamb like this is a total treat – it looks dramatic, and gives you tender blushing meat, with an irresistible feisty crumb. It’s also easy to scale up or down for two, six or eight, just tweak the timings instinctively.” A great winter recipe and delicious served with a red wine jus, dauphinoise potatoes and seasonal vegetables if time is on your side.

INGREDIENTS

(Serves 4) • 2 x French-trimmed 7-bone racks of lamb , (caps, fat and sinews removed) • olive oil • unsalted butter • 3 cloves of garlic • 100 g shelled pistachios • 1 bunch of fresh flat-leaf parsley (30g) • 75 g bread • 1 whole nutmeg , for grating • Dijon mustard • Green Beans • 350 g fine green beans • 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar • extra virgin olive oil • ½ a lemon • 3 sprigs of fresh tarragon

METHOD

1. Get your meat out of the fridge and up to room temperature before you cook it. Preheat the oven to 180ºC/350ºF/gas 4. 2. Drizzle the lamb racks with olive oil and sprinkle generously with sea salt and black pepper, patting the seasoning all over the meat. 3. Sear in a hot frying pan on a high heat with a little extra oil and 1 knob of butter for 2 to 3 minutes, turning with tongs until golden all over, then remove the racks to a roasting tray and let them cool. 4. Peel 2 cloves of garlic and place in a food processor with the pistachios and parsley (stalks and all). Tear in the bread, finely grate in half the nutmeg and blitz into a fine green crumb. 5. Generously brush each lamb rack with mustard, then cover with the herby crumb, patting it all over the top and sides. 6. Roast for 25 minutes, until the crust is crisp, to give you beautifully blushing lamb. Remove from the oven and leave the lamb to rest for 10 minutes. 7. Meanwhile, trim just the stalk ends off the green beans and cook for 6 to 7 minutes in a pan of boiling salted water. 8. Crush the remaining unpeeled clove of garlic through a garlic crusher into a jar and mix with 1 teaspoon of mustard, the vinegar, 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil and the lemon juice, then taste and season to perfection. 9. Finely chop and add the tarragon leaves. Drain the beans and toss with the dressing. Carve up the lamb and serve with the dressed green beans and Dauphinoise Potatoes or mash if time is tight.

WINE MATCH

Lamb is one of the most wine friendly meats, as perfect with a red Bordeaux and Rioja as it is with the fruitier wines of the new world. But if you’re looking for a perfect wine pairing it’s worth thinking just how - and for how long - you’re going to cook it. With lamb roasted and served pink, like in this Jamie Oliver rack of lamb recipe, a Pinot Noir or Cru Beaujolais would work well. Alternatively if you want to steer clear of reds a dry rosé, especially vintage rosé Champagne, is also particularly good.

MOVIE REVIEW

MATRIX RESURRECTIONS

The long-awaited fourth installment of the sci-fi classic ‘Matrix’ is back. The cast largely remains the same with Keanu Reeves donning his iconic long leather coat to play Neo and Carrie Anne Moss as his love interest Trinity.

The film is 20 years after the last one – has it been that long? Am I that old... we hear you say?! Laurence Fishbourne is the only member not to return – as his character has stepped back in time to the origins of the Matrix and is now played by ‘Aquaman’ star Yahya AbdulMateen II. Jada Pinkett Smith, Lambert Wilson and Daniel Bernhardt all reprise their previous roles.

The film begins with Neo living an ordinary life as his alter ego; Thomas A. Anderson in San Francisco. He appears not to remember his past until Morpheus gives him a red pill that awakens his mind to the world of the Matrix.

The relationship between Neo and Trinity will take centre stage again with Reeves describing the plot as a “beautiful script that is a love story. It’s another version of a kind of call to wake up and it has some great action!” Other details of the film’s storyline has been deliberately kept quiet so as not to have any spoilers pre-launch.

The film is written by and directed by the talented Lana Wachowski who has huge sci-fi accolades including ‘V for Vendetta’, ‘Cloud Atlas’ and of course all the previous ‘Matrix’ films under her belt.

If you love science fiction or any of the other 3 ‘Matrix’ outings – this is a go to film this December. Release date is scheduled for December 22nd.

ALBUM REVIEW

STING – THE BRIDGE

Sting released his 15th studio album entitled ‘The Bridge’ on November 19th. He wrote the album "in a year of global pandemic, personal loss, separation, disruption, lockdown and extraordinary social and political turmoil” he claimed.

The album is amazing, well thought out tracks, lyrics and the usual Sting style of melodic yet substance singing. On 1 September "If It's Love" was released as the first single from the album to critical acclaim.

The upbeat and infectious pop tune exhibits his undeniable gift for melody. In his signature voice - and taking a different approach to a normal love song - Sting likens his ‘romantic feelings’ to calling the doctor about his ‘symptoms’ of being in love as it were an illness. It is isn’t it?! "I’m certainly not the first songwriter to equate falling in or out of love with an incurable sickness, nor will I be the last, ’If It’s Love’ is my addition to that canon where the tropes of metaphorical symptoms, diagnosis and downright incapacity are all familiar enough to make each of us smile ruefully," he said.

Representing various styles from throughout his career and drawing inspiration from genres including rock n’ roll, jazz, classical music and folk, the album features Sting’s quintessential sound on pop-rock tracks such as the album’s opening rock hit “Rushing Water” and indie-pop sounding “If It’s Love,” to the electronic ballad “Loving You” – the tracks are top notch. 17-time award winning Grammy artist Sting is back. Back with a bang and a belter of an album!

BOOK REVIEW

THE INSIDER – MATTHEW RICHARDSON

A thrilling novel of espionage and murder set in the heart of London, from the critically acclaimed UK spy writer, Matthew Richardson.

The plot surrounds a Russian defector who is found brutally murdered in a London hotel. Only four people knew he had turned into a spy - the four most important and powerful figures in Whitehall.

There's only one conclusion; a mole has infiltrated the highest levels of Britain’s M16 security. Operating in secret from within Westminster's darkest corners, another former spy - the novel’s hero - Solomon Vine, must uncover the traitor.

Britain's future hangs in the balance.

The cat and mouse chase that ensues is hardly Tom & Jerry – murder and cover-ups are at every page turn practically! Vine must locate and “out” the traitor before he manages to destroy and expose M16 – leaving the country with the threat of destruction.

Critics have raved about this book with The Guardian, calling it, “Proof that the spy genre is flourishing in the 21st Century. Richardson’s plotting has an old school, Swiss-clock precision that keeps the reader pleasurably engaged.” The Times went as far to say that, “A splendid tale... exciting spy literature.”

With Matthew Richardson getting this sort of praise and his first novel in 2018 ‘My Name is Nobody’ propelling him to the top of the best seller list, this second novel produced at aged 27 means there will be a lot more greats to come from this Durhameducated student newspaper writer.

Bond or Vine?!!

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