Finally the weather has picked up and have been looking for some inspiration for dinner! Have borrowed one of Brad's recipes - full of flavour but easy to put together and suitable of a home cook. I used free range eggs from our chooks and from the garden I picked l the herbs and a lemon for the marinade, plus radishes, red cabbage and lettuces. I replaced the red and green oak lettuces in the recipe for 2 x Canasta's, which we are currently growing. It has a red tinged leaf which looks great and it also retains its crispness after picking (a great choice which can be purchased from King Seeds). If you can't face making your own mayo, just buy a good quality store bought one although I have to admit the horseradish mayo recipe does I've it that wow factor! Happy cooking :-)
Serves 4
Ingredients
600 – 700 g lamb backstrap
Marinade
1 tablespoon cumin
1 tablespoon of smoked paprika
2 tablespoons of chopped garlic
2 tablespoons of chopped coriander leaves
2 tablespoons of chopped flat leaf parsley
1 tablespoon of lemon juice
2 tablespoon of olive oil
Place lamb in a bowl, add rest of ingredients and using hands, combine to cover all of lamb. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours.
16 x large cherry tomatoes
120 ml of extra virgin olive oil + a little extra
4 x eggs fridge temperature
2 table spoon of capers
1 x red oak lettuce
1 x green oak lettuce
30g mustard leaves
1/3 iceberg lettuce (finely shredded)
6 x cos lettuce leaves (preferably inner)
¼ red cabbage finely shredded
1x handful of small watercress
3-4 radishes (small wedges)
80g of mung beans
100 ml vegetable oil
Garnish
3 pickled corniches
1x bunch of spring onions, white part only
12 x white anchovies
2 Tbsp grated parmesan
Horseradish mayo
3 x egg yolks
½ table spoon of hot English mustard
Sea salt & freshly ground pepper
120 ml of extra virgin olive oil
100 ml avocado oil
20ml Red wine vinegar
2 Tbsp of prepared horseradish
Preparation
1. Preheat the oven to 120 °C. Slice a tiny piece from the base of the tomatoes so they will sit upright. Pour 100 ml of olive oil into a small bowl & roll each tomato through oil then season with salt & pepper.
Sit upright in a pan big enough to hold tomatoes in a one layer.
2. Prick eggs with a fine pin, than boil for 9 minutes, refresh under cold water. Shell & halve them.
3. Soak capers in warm water, rinse & dry well with paper towel. Fry capers in hot vegetable oil for 30 seconds then dry on paper towel.
4. To make horseradish mayonnaise, whisk egg yolks, mustard salt and pepper in a mixing bowl. Slowly add the combined oils in a steady stream being careful to emulsify well between each addition. Add last of the oil until quite thick and acidulate with a little vinegar, whisk in the horseradish and season to taste. It should be thick enough to coat the salad ingredients and taste hot and acidic.
5. Rub a little olive oil over the lamb & season with salt and pepper. Place the lamb on a cast iron skillet (or BBQ) on medium heat for 3 minutes. Turn over & cook for a further 3 minutes. Rest in a warm place for 5 minutes.
6. Place a generous thread of oil and a splash of vinegar over the lettuce leaves, watercress, cabbage, mung beans and mustard leaves and eggs and gently toss with a sprinkling of sea salt.
7. Toss eggs in a little oil and sea salt. Distribute salad leaves between 4 plates. Slice lamb into 2-3mm thick slices and arrange over salad. Distribute cornichons, spring onions, anchovies, parmesan, cherry tomatoes and eggs. Dress with horseradish mayonnaise.