Ingredients

• 4 large baking potatoes
• 25g/1oz butter
• 3 free-range egg yolks
• 1 small onion
• 25g/1oz butter
• plus extra for greasing
• 300g/10½oz button mushrooms
• 1 small bunch picked tarragon
• finely chopped
• 50g/1¾oz fresh white breadcrumbs
• 75g/2½oz lamb mince
• salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2 x 7-bone French trimmed racks of lamb

Directions

• For the duchess potatoes
• preheat the oven to 200C/400F/Gas 6.
• Bake the potatoes in the oven for about 1-1¼ hours
• or until tender when pierced by a knife.
• For the tarragon stuffed crown of lamb
• put the onion in a food processor and pulse until very finely chopped.
• Heat a frying pan until warm
• add the butter and onions and gently fry for a few minutes.
• Add the mushrooms to the food processor and blend to a really fine purée
• then add them to the frying pan. Turn the heat up to high and fry for 2-3 minutes
• or until all the moisture from the mushrooms has been driven off.
• Tip into a bowl with the tarragon
• breadcrumbs and mince. Season generously with salt and black pepper.
• Rub some butter over a sheet of aluminium foil. Place the foil on an oven tray
• buttered side up.
• Tie the two racks of lamb together to form a circle and place onto the buttered foil. Spoon the stuffing into the centre
• packing down well. Place in the oven (set to 200C/400F/Gas 6) for 50-60 minutes then remove and rest for 10 minutes.
• Meanwhile
• for the duchess potatoes
• remove the potatoes from the oven and
• when cool enough to handle
• scoop out the flesh and pass it through a fine sieve into a bowl.
• Beat to a smooth and fluffy purée then add the butter and egg yolks. Season with salt and pepper.
• Spoon into a piping bag then pipe little pyramids onto a baking tray and place in the oven for 5-10 minutes
• or until golden-brown.
• To serve
• carve the lamb and serve with the duchess potatoes.