Roast rack of lamb with herbs
Serves three to four
One rack of lamb, well trimmed; salt and black pepper; four tablespoon of chopped parsley; one teaspoon of chopped thyme; 75 grammes of breadcrumbs; knob of melted butter and one tablespoon of good quality mustard.
Preheat oven to 200°C (400°F ), gas mark six. Season the lamb with salt and pepper. Place in the preheated oven for ten minutes. Meanwhile make up the topping — combine the herbs, breadcrumbs, seasoning and butter and mix well. After ten minutes remove the lamb from the oven. Spread the mustard over the top of the lamb. Spoon on the herb and breadcrumb mixture and press well onto the lamb. Place it back in the oven and roast for another 25 minutes. Allow to sit for five to ten minutes before carving into single cutlets and serve with a baked potato and salad or roasted vegetables — simply toss some chopped peppers, courgettes, tomatoes and red onions in a little olive oil. Season with salt and pepper and roast in the oven at the same time as the lamb.
Barbecued lamb cutlets
Serves four
Use eight well trimmed lamb cutlets; one tablespoon of balsamic vinegar; one tablespoon of olive oil and salt and black pepper. Mix the vinegar and oil together in a bowl and dip the cutlets into the mixture and season with salt and pepper. Cook on a pre-heated barbecue or grill for three minutes on each side.
Serve with a spoonful of your favourite salsa or relish or try mixing together some chopped cherry tomatoes, cucumber and fresh coriander, a squeeze of lime juice, olive oil and seasoning. Also, try steamed potatoes served with a sprinkling of fresh thyme leaves and a little rock salt.
Leg of lamb roasted with mustard and rosemary
Serves ten
One leg of lamb, 1.8kg-2kg, well trimmed. For the topping use two tablespoons of good quality mustard, two tablespoons of soy sauce, one clove of garlic, one teaspoon of chopped rosemary leaves, two to three centimetre pieces of peeled and grated ginger and one tablespoon of olive oil.
Preheat the oven to 220°C (430°F ), gas mark seven. Place the lamb in a roasting tin. Mix the mustard, soy sauce, garlic, rosemary and ginger together and then gradually stir in the olive oil to make a paste. Spread this mixture over the lamb. Put in the oven and roast for 20 minutes, then reduce the heat to 180°C (350°F ) gas mark four and continue to roast for another 15 minutes per 450g . The lamb will be cooked medium at this stage. Remove from the oven, wrap the lamb loosely in foil and allow to rest for 15 minutes before carving.
Serve with roast potatoes and red onions roasted alongside the lamb — peel and quarter potatoes and some red onions and mix with a little olive oil, bay leaves and seasoning. Roast for the last 50 minutes in the roasting tin with the lamb.
Lamb stir-fry
Serves four
450g lean lamb strips, one tablespoon of oil, 400g of chopped vegetables (scallions, red/yellow peppers, broccoli ), one tablespoon of hoisin sauce. For the marinade use one clove of chopped garlic, two to three centimetres of peeled and chopped ginger, a pinch of five spice powder, one tablespoon of soy sauce, one tablespoon of olive oil, one tablespoon of sherry/rice wine and black pepper.
Combine the marinade ingredients and add in the meat. Heat the oil in a wok or frying pan then add in the vegetables and cook for two to three minutes. Remove from the wok, then return all and stir in the hoisin sauce. Mix well together and serve with rice or potatoes or fill a pitta bread or tortilla wrap with the stir-fry.
