Yield: 2 Entrée Servings

• 2 each, 6-ounce boneless loin of lamb
• 2 large pinches fresh thyme, for the lamb and vegetables
• 1 pinch fresh rosemary, for the lamb
• 2 ounces artichoke puree (see recipe below)
• ½ cup haricots verts, trimmed and blanched
• 1 shallot, minced
• 20 carrot "pearls" (use a No.8 parisienne scoop, or a very small melon baller)
• 2 ounces red wine reduction (see recipe below)
• 1 teaspoon butter
• 2 Tablespoons olive oil

Veal:

Preheat an oven to 300°F. Season the lamb with salt and pepper. In a sauté pan, heat ¼ cup of olive oil over moderate heat and very gently brown the lamb on all sides. Place a pinch each of fresh thyme and rosemary in the pan along with 1 teaspoon of butter. Turn the heat off and baste the meat for a few moments. Place the meat on a roasting rack and cook in the oven for approximately 20 minutes for medium rare.

While the meat is cooking, start working on your vegetables. In a sauté pan, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Add the shallots first and cook for 1 minute. Then, add the blanched haricots verts and carrot pearls, cook for two minutes, season with thyme, salt, pepper and a drop of lemon juice. Reserve.

Reheat the artichoke purée. In the center of two dinner plates, make a very smooth, thin circle of the purée by using the back of a 2-ounce ladle or large serving spoon. Place the haricots verts on top of the circle. Slice the lamb into 3 or 5 slices (depending on your preference), spoon some of the red wine sauce onto the plate and serve.

Artichoke Purée:

• 10 baby artichokes
• ¾ cups olive oil (approximately)
• ¾ cups vegetable stock (approximately)
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 small white onion, medium diced
• 1 pinch fresh thyme
• 1 clove garlic
• salt and white pepper to taste
• lemon juice, to taste
• 1 teaspoon butter

Clean the artichokes of all of their leaves and trim their stems, so that only the heart remains. Rub them with lemon, so they don't turn brown. In a small sauce pot, cover them with a combination equal parts olive oil and vegetable stock. Add the bay leaf, onion, fresh thyme and garlic clove. Cook over medium heat until the artichokes are almost mushy. Remove the garlic and bay leaf and purée the artichokes in a high-speed blender until very smooth. Add a little of the poaching liquid at a time to thin down the purée to a consistency where it is still thick, but spoonable. Then, season with salt, white pepper and lemon juice. Add butter at the very end and reserve.

Red Wine Reduction:

• ½ carrot, chopped
• ½ onion, chopped
• ½ celery stalk, chopped
• ½ clove of garlic, smashed
• 1 sprig fresh thyme
• 1 sprig fresh rosemary
• 1/2 cup red wine
• 2 cups of reduced veal stock
• 1 Tablespoon olive oil

In a small sauce pot, heat the olive oil over high heat and add the carrot, onion, celery, and garlic. Cook them until well browned and add the thyme and rosemary. Add the wine and cook for three minutes or until reduced by 2/3. Add the veal stock and cook very slowly for 30 more minutes. Strain through a fine mesh strainer. Season and reserve.