Festive Lamb from the Anantara Kitchen – One of the Holiday Menu’s Signature Dishes
Located within the elegant walls of the Anantara New York Palace Budapest Hotel, the White Salon restaurant is an integral part of the hotel’s culinary offering. Its kitchen focuses on dishes that are approachable yet thoughtfully composed, where Hungarian ingredients meet elements of international cuisine.
Executive Chef Krisztián Kiss creates food that is technically precise and layered, while remaining clear and easy to understand on the plate. This time, he opens the doors of the White Salon kitchen by sharing the recipe for one of the restaurant’s seasonal festive dishes.
It is festive in the best sense of the word: complex, multi-layered, yet perfectly balanced.
The boneless lamb loin is served with a layered Jerusalem artichoke gratin, accompanied by a rosemary-infused red wine glaze, roasted plums, and crispy Jerusalem artichoke chips. Sweet, acidic, earthy, and meaty flavors complement one another delicately, while the interplay of textures remains present throughout the dish.
Originally designed for restaurant service and larger quantities, this recipe has now been adapted for a four-person portion, preserving the dish’s essence and character. It is not a quick weekday dinner, but rather a dish for those who enjoy spending time in the kitchen and are happy to take on a more elaborate festive main course.
Lamb Loin with Jerusalem Artichoke Gratin, Roasted Plums, Jerusalem Artichoke Chips, and Rosemary Red Wine Glaze
(Serves 4)
Ingredients – Lamb Loin
1 boneless lamb loin (approx. 750–900 g)
1 liter cold water
60 g salt
Neutral oil, as needed
Ingredients – Jerusalem Artichoke Gratin
330 g Jerusalem artichoke
330 g potatoes
6–7 g salt
8 g potato starch
20 g clarified butter
1 clove garlic
1–2 sprigs fresh thyme
Ingredients – Red Wine Glaze
200 ml dry red wine
500 ml chicken stock (preferably homemade and well seasoned)
1 medium onion or 1–2 tbsp finely chopped shallot
1 clove garlic
1 sprig fresh rosemary
1 small carrot
1 stalk celery
A small piece of orange peel or citrus zest
1 bay leaf
Freshly ground black pepper
Salt, to taste
20–30 g butter (to finish the sauce)
Ingredients – Roasted Plums
6–8 Italian plums
Maldon salt or coarse sea salt
1–2 sprigs fresh thyme
1–2 tsp balsamic vinegar
Ingredients – Jerusalem Artichoke Chips
1 medium Jerusalem artichoke (approx. 150 g)
Oil for deep frying
Fine salt
To Serve
Mustard dressing
Crisp salad leaves
Preparation
Lamb Loin
Trim the lamb loin, removing any sinew, and shape it into an even cylinder. Prepare a 6% brine by dissolving the salt in the cold water. Submerge the meat completely and brine for 50 minutes. Drain thoroughly, wrap tightly in plastic wrap, and cook sous vide at 58°C for 50 minutes.
Before serving, reheat gently, then quickly sear on all sides in a hot pan with a small amount of oil until nicely browned. Allow the meat to rest, then slice into finger-thick pieces.
Jerusalem Artichoke Gratin
Peel the Jerusalem artichokes and potatoes and slice them separately to approximately 1 mm thickness. Melt the butter, add the finely crushed garlic and thyme, then allow it to cool slightly. Toss the slices with salt and the flavored butter.
Layer them in a small, buttered baking dish, lightly dusting potato starch between the layers. Cover with baking paper and bake at 150°C for about 90 minutes, until completely tender. Cool, then press lightly with a weight for several hours. Cut into portions and, before serving, pan-fry on all sides until golden brown.
Red Wine Glaze
Heat a saucepan and gently sauté the finely chopped onion or shallot and crushed garlic in a little oil until translucent. Add the red wine and reduce until the volume decreases significantly and the flavors concentrate.
Add the chicken stock, chopped carrot, celery, rosemary, citrus peel, and bay leaf. Simmer uncovered over low heat until the sauce becomes glossy and rich in texture, reducing to roughly one half to one third of its original volume (about 40–60 minutes).
Strain through a fine sieve, discarding the solids. If needed, whisk in 20–30 g of cold butter to add shine and silkiness, then season with salt and freshly ground pepper.
Roasted Plums
Cut the plums into wedges and place them on a baking tray. Sprinkle with Maldon salt and thyme, then drizzle lightly with balsamic vinegar. Roast at 230°C for 8–10 minutes, until lightly caramelized. Before serving, briefly warm them in the glaze.
Jerusalem Artichoke Chips
Slice the Jerusalem artichoke very thinly, about 0.5 mm. Fry in hot oil until golden and crisp, drain on paper towels, and season lightly with salt.
Plating
Arrange crisp salad leaves dressed with mustard dressing on the plate. Add the pan-fried Jerusalem artichoke gratin, sliced lamb loin, roasted plums, and Jerusalem artichoke chips. Finish by spooning the rosemary red wine glaze around the dish.
