This is a vibrant and easy dish using a quick-cooking cut of lamb. The dressing is bursting with flavour and, along with the salty olives, is a perfect foil for the meat.
Serves: 6
INGREDIENTS
4-6 boneless lamb backstraps, about 850 grams
olive oil
sea salt and ground pepper
Dressing
1 teaspoon fennel seeds, toasted
finely grated zest 1 lemon
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 cloves garlic, crushed
¼ cup olive oil
2 tablespoons capers
1 tablespoon each finely chopped mint and parsley
To serve
20 green olives, lightly crushed and pitted
METHOD
Brush the lamb with a little oil and season with salt and pepper.
Heat a large frying pan and when very hot, cook the lamb for about 2-3 minutes each side for medium-rare. Cooking time will depend on the thickness of the lamb. Try and get a good crust on the lamb. Transfer to a plate and rest, lightly covered, for
5 minutes.
Dressing: Stir all the ingredients together in a bowl and season with salt and pepper.
To serve: Slice the lamb against the grain and place on a platter. Drizzle with the meat resting juices, then scatter over the olives and spoon over the dressing.
Drinks match:
From Robert Stadniczenko’s Arapai vineyard on the Dry River Flats, comes the Stad_ko Martinborough Pinot Noir 2020 ($39) This dry, spicy, leather layered and earthy pinot noir is edged with allspice and baked tamarillo, and it’s beyond lovely with lamb. Stadko.com
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In Dream Escape, we journey from Japan and Morocco to Italy, India and beyond, sharing recipes inspired by travel, heritage and comfort. We celebrate the champions of the Outstanding Food Producer Awards, explore the stories and recipes of chefs shaped by their cultural roots, and warm up with everything from West African soups and slow-braised lamb to porchetta, butter chicken and beef noodle soup. Alongside destination menus, Scandinavian sweets and cosy pub classics, Chrisanne Terblanche shares her favourite street-side dining spots in Bangkok, while Yvonne Lorkin explores red wine varietals. This issue, we invite you to slow down, turn the pages and escape through food.