This recipe celebrates some of the UK’s tastiest spring produce: wild garlic, that wonderfully whiffy foraged ingredient that fills the forest floor as the days get brighter, with wonderful Jersey Royals and lamb cutlets.
Ingredients
For the wild garlic pesto
- 120g/4oz
wild garlic leaves, blanched - 1
garlic clove, peeled and grated - 20g/¾oz
pine nuts, toasted - 200ml/7fl oz
olive oil - ½
lemon, zest only - 30g/1oz
parmesan cheese, grated - salt and pepper
For the grilled lamb chops and potatoes
- 6
lamb cutlets, French trimmed -
olive oil, to brush on the lamb - 200g/7oz pre-cooked Jersey Royals
- 30g/1oz
wild garlic leaves, washed
Method
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For the wild garlic pesto, pick and wash the wild garlic leaves and blanch the leaves in a pan of boiling water for 30 seconds. Re-fresh in a bowl of ice-cold water. Squeeze out the excess water and roughly chop.
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Add the leaves, garlic, pine nuts, olive oil, lemon zest and grated parmesan to the food processor and blend. Season with salt and pepper.
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For the grilled lamb chops, heat a flat griddle pan and drizzle the chops with oil. Cook for two minutes on one side and turn over and cook for another 30 seconds. Allow the chops to rest.
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While the lamb is resting, heat a medium frying pan and fry the potatoes with butter until golden-brown. Stir through the raw garlic leaves, and a tablespoon of the pesto, or more if you prefer.
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To serve, put the potato salad in a serving bowl and pile the lamb chops on top. Put a little extra pesto on top if liked. Any remaining pesto can be kept in the fridge to use for another recipe.