Minty Lamb With Warm Veg Salad Recipes

WARM SHREDDED LAMB SALAD WITH MINT AND POMEGRANATE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 250 degrees F.
• On the stovetop, brown the lamp, fat-side down, in a large roasting pan. Remove when nicely browned across its middle (you won't get much more than this) and set aside while you fry the shallots, garlic and carrot briefly. Just tip them into the pan - you won't need to add any more fat - and cook them, sprinkled with the salt, gently for a couple of minutes. Pour the water over and then replace the lamb, this time fat side up. Let the liquid in the pan come to a boil, then tent with foil and put in the preheated oven.
• Now just leave it there while you sleep. I find that if I put the lamb in before I go to bed, it's perfect by lunchtime the next day. But the point is, at this temperature, nothing's going to go wrong with the lamb if you cook it for a little less or a little more.
• If you want to cook the lamb the day you're going to eat it, heat the oven to 325 degrees F and give it 5 hours or so. The point is to find a way of cooking that suits you: you know what sort of pottering relaxes you and what makes you feel constrained; how much time you've got, and how you want to use it. Don't let the food, the kitchen or the imagined expectations of other people bully you.
• With the homily over, about 1 hour before you want to eat, remove the lamb from the pan to a large plate or carving board - not that it needs carving; the deal here is that it's unfashionably overcooked, falling to tender shreds a the touch of a fork. This is the best way to deal with shoulder of lamb: it's cheaper than leg, and the flavor it deeper, better, truer, but even good carvers, which I most definitely am not, can get unstuck trying to slice it.
• To finish the lamb salad, simply pull it into pieces with a couple of forks on a large plate. Sprinkle with more sea salt and some freshly chopped mint, then cut the pomegranate in 1/2 and dot with the seeds from 1 of the halves. This is easily done; there's a simple trick, which means you never have to think of winkling out the jeweled pips with a safety pin ever again. Simply hold the pomegranate 1/2 above the plate, take a wooden spoon and start bashing the curved skin side with it. Nothing will happen for a few seconds, but have faith. In a short while the glassy red, juicy beads will start raining down.
• Take the other 1/2 and squeeze the preposterously pink juices over the warm shredded meat. Take to the table and serve.
• What I do with the leftovers is warm a pita bread in the microwave, and then spread it with a greedy dollop of hummus, then take the chill off the refrigerated lamb in the microwave and stuff the already gooey pita with it. Add freshly chopped mint, black pepper and whatever else you like; raw, finely chopped red onion goes dangerously well.

ROASTED LAMB WITH ROOT VEGETABLES

Steps:

• Allow the leg of lamb to rest at room temperature for 1 hour before cooking.
• Preheat an oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Place the oven rack in the lower third of the oven.
• Whisk the garlic, pepper, red pepper flakes, bay leaf, rosemary, 1/2 cup olive oil, vinegar, and honey together in a small bowl. Rub the mixture over the lamb, then season with 2 tablespoons coarse salt. Set aside. Place carrots, potatoes, beet, yam, and turnips in a large roasting pan. Toss with 2 tablespoons olive oil and a pinch of salt. Arrange the seasoned leg of lamb on top of the vegetables.
• Roast the lamb in the preheated oven for 20 minutes, then reduce oven temperature to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Continue roasting to your desired degree of doneness, about 90 minutes more for medium-rare. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the center should read 130 degrees F (54 degrees C).
• Allow the leg of lamb on a cutting board, tented with aluminum foil, for 30 minutes before carving. Place the vegetables on a serving platter and cover with aluminum foil to keep warm until ready to serve.

MINTY LAMB WITH WARM VEG SALAD

Steps:

• Heat oven to 220C/fan 200C/gas 7. Mix together the carrots, parsnips and onions in a roasting tin with 1 tbsp oil, then roast for 15 mins. Toss in the beetroot, drizzle with 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar, then roast for 15 mins more until just tender.
• Meanwhile, heat 1 tbsp oil in a non-stick frying pan. Fry the chops for 6-8 mins, turning halfway, until cooked to your liking. Whizz half the mint in a small food processor with the remaining vinegar and oil, then season. Add a little water if the mixture is a bit thick. Toss the remaining mint with the roasted veg, then season and serve alongside the chops, drizzled with mint sauce.

LENTIL-AND-MINT SALAD

Steps:

• Place lentils in a medium saucepan and cover with tepid water. Set aside to soak for 30 minutes. Drain the lentils and return them to the saucepan. Add the yellow onion, thyme, garlic and bay leaf. Cover the lentils by 2 inches with cold water and place over high heat. Bring to a boil, lower the heat to a simmer and cook until the lentils are tender but not mushy, about 30 minutes.
• Remove the lentils from the heat. Discard the onion, thyme, garlic and bay leaf and drain the lentils. Place them in a large bowl. In a small bowl, whisk together the oil, lemon juice, salt and cumin and pour over the lentils. Add the red onion and bell pepper and toss. Stir in the mint just before serving. Serve warm or cold with roasted lamb, beef or poultry.

CUCUMBER MINT SALAD WITH GOAT CHEESE

Steps:

• Combine cucumbers, mint, garlic (if using fresh), green onion, and cheese in a bowl.
• Combine olive oil, lemon juice, pepper, and salt (if using) in a screw top jar. Shake until well combined. Pour over salad.
• Enjoy at room temperature or chilled.
• Note: excellent with pita crisps.
• Note: When made for the blog, the dressing was omitted and only half the goat cheese was used (where most of the calories are hiding). Instead, I just used a light olive oil mist, which may not have been necessary. Cucumbers are plenty wet as it is!

ROAST LEG OF LAMB WITH MINT AïOLI

Steps:

• Marinate lamb:
• Stir together garlic, onion, mint, savory, olive oil, lemon zest and juice, and cumin in a baking dish just large enough to hold lamb. Put lamb in dish and turn to coat, rubbing marinade into entire surface. Marinate lamb, covered and chilled, turning once or twice, at least 12 hours.
• Make aïoli:
• Mash garlic to a paste with kosher salt using a mortar and pestle (or mince and mash with a large heavy knife), then add 1 cup mint and pound to a paste (or mince and mash with knife). Transfer to a bowl and whisk in yolks, then add half of oil, 1 to 2 teaspoons at a time, whisking constantly. Whisk in lemon juice, then slowly add remaining oil, whisking. Season with salt and pepper and stir in warm water.
• Working with several leaves at a time, stack remaining cup mint leaves, then roll up and thinly slice crosswise to make a chiffonade (thin strips). Stir mint into aïoli and chill until ready to use.
• Roast lamb:
• Preheat oven to 400°F.
• Wipe all of marinade from lamb and discard. Pat lamb dry and season both sides generously with salt and pepper. Arrange lamb, boned side up, on a work surface and, beginning with a long side, roll up as tightly as possible and tie tightly with string.
• Heat vegetable oil in a 12-inch heavy skillet over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking, then brown lamb on all sides, about 8 minutes. Transfer to rack set in roasting pan and roast in middle of oven until an instant-read thermometer inserted into lamb reads an average of 140°F for medium-rare (test in several places, as different muscles cook at different speeds; temperatures should range from 120 to 160°F), 40 to 60 minutes. Let stand 15 to 20 minutes before slicing.
• Serve lamb with aïoli.

WARM SHREDDED LAMB SALAD WITH MINT AND POMEGRANATE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 140C/ gas mark 1.
• On the hob, brown the lamb, fat side down, in a large roasting tin. Remove when nicely browned in the middle (you won't get much more than this) and set aside while you fry the vegetables briefly. Just tip them into the pan - you won't need to add any more fat - and cook them, sprinkled with salt, gently for a couple of minutes. Pour the water over and then replace the lamb, this time fat side up. Let the liquid in the pan come to a bubble, then tent with foil and put in the preheated oven.
• Now just leave it there while you sleep. I find that if I put the lamb in before I go to bed, it's perfect by lunchtime the next day. But the point is, at this temperature, nothing's going to go wrong with the lamb if you cook it for a little less or a little more.
• If you want to cook the lamb the day you're going to eat it, heat the oven to 170C/ gas mark 3 and give it 5 hours or so. The point is to find a way of cooking that suits you.
• About an hour before you want to eat, remove the lamb from the tin to a large plate or carving board; not that it needs carving: the deal here is that it's unfashionably overcooked, falling to tender shreds at the touch of a fork. This is the best way to deal with shoulder of lamb: it's cheaper than leg, and the flavour is deeper, better, truer, but even good carvers, which I most definitely am not, can get unstuck trying to slice it.
• I get on with the vegetables while the lamb's sitting meekly, but you could equally well have done this earlier. But to finish the lamb salad, simply pull it to pieces with a couple forks on a large plate. Sprinkle with more salt and some freshly chopped mint, then cut the pomegranate in half and dot with the seeds from one of the halves. This is easily done; there's a simple trick, which means you never have to think of winkling out the jewelled pips with a safety pin ever again. Simply hold the pomegranate half above the plate, take a wooden spoon and start bashing the curved skin side with it. Nothing will happen for a few seconds, but have faith. In a short while the red glassy, juicy beads will start raining down.
• Take the other half and squeeze the preposterously pink juices over the warm shredded meat. Take to the table and serve.

LAMB PATTIES WITH GARLIC AND MINT OVER MEDITERRANEAN CHOPPED SALAD

Steps:

• Coarsely chop the parsley. Set aside two thirds and finely chop the rest.
• Heat a grill pan or a large nonstick skillet to medium-high heat. Place the ground lamb in a bowl with the garlic, shallots, mint, finely chopped parsley, grill seasoning, cumin, and a generous drizzle of EVOO. Mix the meat and score it into 8 portions. Form 8 patties, each 3 inches across and 1 inch thick. Add the patties to the skillet. Cook for 3 minutes on each side.
• While the meat cooks, combine all the vegetables with the reserved coarsely chopped parsley, the olives, cheese, and hot peppers. Dress the salad with the juice of 2 lemons and about 3 tablespoons EVOO (3 times around the bowl). Season the salad with salt and pepper. Serve the salad with 2 patties of lamb on top and warm pita bread alongside.

LAMB, FETA & MINT SALAD

Steps:

• Heat oven to 220C/200C fan/gas 7. Spread the chips out onto a baking tray, then bake for 12 mins. Meanwhile, whisk together 4 tsp oil from the pepper jar with the red wine vinegar, chopped mint, sugar and some seasoning. Roughly tear the peppers into smaller chunks, then put into a large bowl with the feta and spinach leaves.
• Heat a griddle or frying pan, brush lamb with a little more oil from the pepper jar, then season. Cook for 2-3 mins on each side, then leave to rest on a board.
• Once the chips have cooked for 12 mins, remove the tray from the oven. Cut them in half, toss with 1 tsp more oil from the pepper jar, then roast for another 3 mins. Thinly slice the lamb. Toss the hot crispy chips through the salad with the dressing, arrange on a platter or 2 dinner plates and top with the lamb.