Rack of lamb

Prepare the polenta according to the instructions, stir in finely chopped sun-dried tomatoes to finish. Spread on a baking tray, leave to cool and cut out filigree towers. Keep the polenta towers warm in a preheated oven (at around 80-100 °C) until you are ready to serve them.

Carefully parry the crown of lamb, massage with olive oil and then season generously with fleur de sel on both sides. Sear in a hot pan for 2.5 minutes on each side.

For the herb coating: Finely chop the fresh parsley, marjoram and rosemary (approx. 10 g each) and mix with 2 tbsp of breadcrumbs. After searing, coat the crown of lamb with a flavoured mixture of 1 tbsp mustard and a dash of Ascona whisky, then roll in the herb coating. Cook gently in a preheated oven at 160°C for 10 minutes.

Mini vegetables: Carefully peel the parsley roots, mini carrots and mini turnips, leaving the green cabbage intact. Season all the herbs with fleur de sel.
In a pan, add a dash of olive oil, a dash of organic Balsamico Aceto di Vino Ticinese and two pinches of brown sugar. Add the prepared vegetables to the pan and gently braise over a low heat until they are firm to the bite and delicately caramelised.

For the pepper and whisky sauce: Heat 2 tbsp olive oil and 1 tbsp butter in a pan over a medium heat. Finely chop the shallots (2 small or 1 large) and add together with 2 cloves of crushed garlic, sauté gently for 5 minutes until soft.
Then pour in 500 ml of stock and simmer the mixture for 15 minutes until the volume has reduced by half. Then strain the sauce through a fine sieve and return to the pan, discarding the shallots and garlic.
Add 1 tbsp Selezione di 5 Pepi that have been passed through a sieve, using the larger pieces. Then add 3 tablespoons of whipping cream and 50 ml of Ascona whisky and simmer for a few minutes until the sauce is homogeneous again and has reduced by half. Finally, pour through a sieve again and discard the peppercorns.

Place the polenta tower in the centre of the plate and elegantly spread the whisky and pepper sauce around it. Arrange the colourful mini vegetables around it. Crown the tower with two lamb crowns and decorate the plate with Valle Maggia pepper.

A RECIPE BY Sylwia Rogoz, @Sillsavoirvivre