Strips of juicy lamb in a salad of nuts, leaves, and tangy pickles with a sweet chilli-jam dressing.
Ingredients
- For the pickled squash and turnips
- 220ml/8fl oz
white wine vinegar - 2 tsp
sugar - 2 tsp
salt - 1 bunch baby
turnips, thinly sliced - ½
butternut squash, chopped - 1
shallot, thinly sliced
- 220ml/8fl oz
- For the chilli dressing
- 2 red
chillies, roughly chopped - 3 plum
tomatoes, roughly chopped - 8
lime leaves - 2
lemongrass stalks, tough outer leaves removed, finely chopped - 25g/1oz fresh root
ginger, roughly chopped - 2
garlic cloves, left whole - 2 small
shallots, roughly chopped - 4 tbsp Thai
fish sauce - 3 tbsp
sesame oil - 50ml/2fl oz dark
soy sauce - 2 tbsp clear
honey - 3
limes, juice and zest - 150g/5½oz
caster sugar
- 2 red
- For the fillet of lamb
- 2 whole
lamb loins, trimmed - 2 tbsp
oil - salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 2 whole
- For the cashew nut salad
- 150g/5½oz
cashew nuts, toasted - 25g/1oz mitzuna leaves
- 50g/1¾oz baby
spinach - 1 bunch fresh
mint, leaves removed
- 150g/5½oz
Preparation method
For the pickled vegetables, place the white wine vinegar, sugar and salt, and 110ml/3½fl oz water in a small saucepan. Heat until the sugar and salt have dissolved.
Put the vegetables in a bowl and pour over the pickling liquor. Set aside for 10 minutes then drain.
For the chilli dressing, blend all the ingredients, except the caster sugar, to a smooth purée in a food processor.
Heat the sugar in a heavy-based saucepan over a low heat until it forms a golden-brown caramel (CAUTION: boiling sugar is extremely hot. Handle very carefully. Use a deep pan to avoid bubbling over.). Do not stir. Keep an eye on it so that it doesn’t burn.
Pour in the puréed chilli jam mixture and stir well. Bring the mixture to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 4-5 minutes, or until sticky and jam-like. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool slightly.
For the fillet of lamb, preheat the oven 200C/400F/Gas 6.
Heat a large oven-proof frying pan and add the oil. Once hot, add the lamb, season with salt and pepper and cook until coloured on all sides. Transfer to the oven for 10 minutes (or longer if you prefer your meat well-cooked).
Remove from the oven when cooked and allow to rest for five minutes. Cut into strips.
To serve mix the nuts, leaves and herbs in a large bowl and add the lamb and pickles. Dress the salad with the chilli dressing.