Wednesday 14 August 2013

Mediterranean Lamb Salad

This dish was inspired by one I saw on Nigella Express where she used lamb tenderloin to make a thai inspired salad. Since I was out of both thai fish sauce and soy sauce, I thought I'd adapt the recipe to what I had on hand. This ended up being mainly Mediterranean additions such as vinegar and olive oil, which is where the title came from. I had planned to use Balsamic vinegar but only realized at the last minute that we were out so I used the cider vinegar instead.

Dressing mix, waiting for the lamb! 
Lamb steaks browning

Lamb cocoon

I highly recommend this dish for a weekday dinner because it was so quick to prepare. The actual cooking only takes five - six minutes depending on your lamb steaks and preferences. Then the lamb sits in it's little foil cocoon until the other elements are ready. I think this method could probably work with any cut of lamb so don't worry if you can't find these particular steaks. Nigella used lamb tenderloin for her dish but my supermarket didn't have any in stock unfortunately! One thing to remember: be careful with the vinegar as the amount used will vary depending on your personal tastes.

Salad!

Prep Time: 5-10 min
Cook Time: 15 min
Serves: 2

Ingredients:

2 lamb leg steaks
Olive oil
Salt
Pepper
8-10 cherry tomatoes
Salad leaves
2-3 tbsp cider vinegar
1/4 red onion, finely chopped
2 green onions, finely chopped
1 tbsp fresh chives, finely chopped
1 tsp mixed herbs
8-10 new potatoes

Method:

In a pan large enough for the lamb steaks, saute the onion and green onion in a teaspoon of olive oil until softened. Remove from pan and place into a shallow baking dish. Season the steaks with salt and pepper and then add a little more oil to the pan if needed and saute the steaks until brown on both sides. When they have finished browning, wrap them in a foil parcel and leave to sit for 5 minutes (or more depending on the thickness of your steaks and how well done you prefer them to be). Meanwhile, boil the potatoes until they are soft and then drain and set aside. Slice the cherry tomatoes in half and divide the salad leaves, tomatoes and potatoes between two plates. In the baking dish, whisk the chives, herbs and vinegar along with a few dashes of olive oil into the onion mixture. When the lamb has rested, open the foil packet and pour the accumulated juices into the baking dish with the dressing. Slice the lamb carefully and add the pieces and any further juices to the dressing. Leave to sit for a minute before pouring over the plates. Enjoy! 

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