Chef Nick Wallace represented his home state of Mississippi in Atlanta Food and Wine Festival with this recipe for smoke-braised lamb shoulder served with roasted vegetables and goat’s milk Brie. His grandmother’s cooking traditions and his roots shine in the Mississippi-inspired dish. To Wallace, this smoke-braised lamb recipe represents strength, which is how he sees Mississippi.
Chef Wallace recommends using Nick’s 26 all-purpose seasoning to enhance the flavor complexity of this dish.
recipe 
yields
Serves 4 to 6
1 pound lamb shoulder or leg
Olive oil
2 tablespoons salt
1 tablespoon coarse-ground black pepper
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon onion powder
1 tablespoon turmeric
1 tablespoon curry
1 bottle red wine
1 yellow onion, roughly chopped
1 celery stick, chopped
1 carrot, chopped
1 bunch fresh thyme
*Fresh herbs for garnish
4 carrots
Juice of 1 lemon, divided
Olive oil
Sea salt
1 large sweet potato, peeled and quartered
½ stick butter
1 tablespoon Nick’s 26 Seasoning
½ cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon lemon juice
½ cup fermented red soybean paste
4 ounces soy sauce
2 ounces apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon creole mustard
2 tablespoons molasses
1 teaspoon black pepper
3 ounces heavy cream
6 ounces goat’s milk
1 wheel Brie, broken into pieces
Juice of 2 lemons
Salt to taste
1 head cauliflower
Olive oil
Salt and pepper
¼ curry powder
Juice of 2 lemons
For the smoke-braised lamb shoulder:
For the lemon carrots:
For the sweet potato purée:
For the soy harissa:
For the goat’s milk Brie:
For the curried cauliflower
steps
- Make the smoke-braised lamb shoulder: Heat hickory wood smoker to 280 degrees. Trim lamb shoulder and rub it with olive oil and seasonings. Place lamb inside smoker for about 2 hours.
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees. In a roasting pan with lid, mix 1 quart of water, red wine, onion, celery, carrot, and thyme. Place smoked lamb inside pan and cover. Braise in oven for 2 hours. Rest lamb for 10 minutes before assembly.
- Make the lemon carrots: Peel carrots and cut on a bias. In a bowl, toss carrots with olive oil, salt, and half the lemon juice. In a skillet, sauté carrots until slightly tender, about 6 to 7 minutes. Deglaze skillet with remaining lemon juice and cook for an additional 6 minutes. Reserve for assembly.
- Make the sweet potato purée: Bring 1 quart water to a boil in a small pot; add sweet potatoes, cover, and boil over medium-high heat until fork tender, about 15 to 16 minutes. Drain the potatoes. In a medium bowl, add drained potato, butter, seasoning, cream, and lemon juice. Using a hand mixer, whip until smooth. Reserve for assembly.
- Make the soy harissa: In a bowl, use a hand mixer to whip first five ingredients together until smooth. Mix pepper into the sauce and reserve for assembly.
- Make the goat’s milk brie: In a medium pot, bring cream and goat’s milk to a boil. Turn off heat, add Brie and lemon juice and set aside for at least 30 minutes. In a stand mixer, whip mixture until very smooth and season with salt. Reserve for plating.
- Make the curried cauliflower: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. With a knife, score the cauliflower. Combine olive oil and seasoning and rub cauliflower down, then cover in lemon juice. In a roasting pan, roast in the oven for 22 minutes. Rest cauliflower and when cool enough to handle, use a fork to remove florets for assembly.
- Assemble: Place a tablespoon of goat’s milk Brie in the center of a plate and add 4 ounces of lamb on top. Spoon 2 tablespoons of sweet potato purée next to lamb. Add 2 florets of curried cauliflower and 3 pieces of roasted carrot to the other end of the plate. Use a teaspoon to place 3 dollops of soy harissa over everything. Garnish and serve.
Date Published: 10.18.22
