Posts Tagged ‘peppercorns’

Butterflied leg of lamb with minty salsa verde

Saturday, March 31st, 2012

Ingredients
1 boned leg of lamb, (ask your butcher to bone it out and trim it for you)
2 lemons, juice only
1 onion, coarsely chopped
3 cloves garlic, sliced
150 ml extra virgin olive oil
2 bay leaves, torn into pieces
3 tbsp chopped mint leaves
8 peppercorns, lightly crushed
For the minty salsa verde

1 large handfuls spearmint leaves
4-5 sprigs peppermint, leaves only
1 bunches parsley
1 large handfuls basil
6 tinned anchovies
2 tbsp capers
2 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped
1 slices bread, crusts removed, torn up (about 60g after crusts have been cut off)
1/2 tsp sugar
2 tbsp white wine vinegar
150-250 ml olive oil
For the parsley, tomato and shallot salad

1 large bunches flat leaf parsley, leaves and finest stems only
2-3 shallots, thinly sliced
150 g cherry tomatoes, halved
1-2 tbsp lemon juice
3-4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

Method
1. Put the lamb in a large, hole-free plastic bag and sit it in a baking dish or bowl.

2. Combine lemon juice, onion, garlic, olive oil, bay leaves, mint and peppercorns and pour the mixture over the lamb.

3. Turn the lamb over a few times so that the marinade coats it well, then knot the bag loosely and marinade for up to 2 hours at room temperature, or up to 48 hours in the fridge. Turn the lamb occasionally.

4. Bring the lamb back to room temperature before cooking, allowing 1-2 hours out of the fridge for it to lose its chill, depending on the temperature of your kitchen.

5. Preheat a griddle, grill or barbecue until extremely hot. Remove the lamb from the marinade, brushing off any solids. Reserve the marinade for basting the meat.

6. Grill the lamb, cut side down at first, for 5-7 minutes on each side to brown the crust. Then, either move the grill rack a little further away from the charcoal or, if you’re using a griddle or grill, turn it down a little and leave the lamb to cook for a further 12-19 minutes on each side, depending on how well you like it done. Baste frequently with the reserved marinade. Test frequently and, as soon as the scarlet translucence of raw meat has disappeared from the centre, lift the lamb onto a warm serving dish and leave to relax for 15 minutes or so in a warm place before carving.

7. For the minty salsa verde: put all the herbs into a food processor with the anchovies, capers, garlic, bread, sugar, vinegar and some freshly ground black pepper and process in short bursts, scraping down the sides, until finely chopped.

8. With the motor running, trickle in enough of the olive oil to give a thickish, creamy sauce. Taste and adjust the seasoning: the anchovies and capers should make it salty enough, so only add extra salt if it really needs it.

9. Spoon the sauce into a bowl, cover with cling film and keep cool until needed.

10. For the parsley, tomato and shallot salad: toss all the ingredients together just before serving and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper.

11. To serve, carve the lamb and serve with minty salsa verde and the parsley, tomato and shallot salad.

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Speedy peppered lamb chops

Friday, March 30th, 2012

Ingredients

4 lean lamb chops or lamb cutlets
2 tsp whole black peppercorns, crushed
1 tsp dried thyme
salt
1 tbsp sunflower oil
1 small onion, peeled and finely chopped
1/4 pint of good lamb stock
1 tbsp redcurrant jelly
knob of unsalted butter

Method
1. In a small bowl mix together the peppercorns and thyme. Transfer to a large, shallow plate.

2. Place the chops on a chopping board, season with salt and coat on both sides with the peppercorn mix.

3. Heat the oil in a non-stick frying pan and cook the chops for 6-8 minutes on each side. Transfer to a warm plate, cover and keep warm.

4. Add the onions to the frying pan and cook for 3-4 minutes, until soft and slightly coloured.

5. Add the stock and redcurrant jelly, bring to the boil and cook for 5-6 minutes, or until reduced by half. Remove from the heat and whisk in the butter.

6. Serve the chops with the sauce, Parmesan mash and seasonal vegetables.

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Pickled Beetroot

Tuesday, December 15th, 2009

Ingredients

* Up to 2kg fresh beetroot
* 1 ½ litres vinegar – either malt vinegar or wine vinegar, depending on your preference
* 1 tablespoon whole coriander seeds
* 1 tablespoon whole peppercorns
* About 10 whole cloves
* 1 bay leaf (dried
* 100g Sugar (optional

Method

1. Chop the stalks off the beetroot, leaving an inch at the end. Scrub the beetroot gently to remove any mud, but taking care not to damage the skin. Wrap them in foil and bake at 180 degrees C for up to 2 hours, until they are tender.

2. While the beetroot is baking, make the vinegar mixture:
Put the vinegar, coriander, cloves, peppercorns and bay leaf in a large pan
Bring to the boil for about 1 minute.
Turn off the heat and cover the pan.
Leave the flavours to infuse for about 2 hours.
Drain before using.

Note: if you prefer sweet pickled beetroot, add 250g sugar to the vinegar before heating. Stir well to make sure the sugar has dissolved.

3. If the skins were thick, you can peel the beetroot – it’s up to you. Wear gloves, if peeling, or it’ll take ages for your finger nails to return to their usual colour!

4. Slice the beetroot into 1/2 cm slices.

5. Put the slices into sterilised jars.
Wash the jars in hot, soapy water and rinse well
Put upside down in an oven at 100 degrees C for 20 minutes
Allow to cool slightly and then fill whilst still warm
Use a vinegar-resistant lid (i.e. plastic-coated, so no metal comes into contact with the vinegar, or this would corrode and ruin the pickle)

6. Bring the vinegar mixture to the boil and then fill the jars.

7. Seal the jars with an airtight, vinegar resistant lid.

8. Leave for a few weeks before eating. Gently shake the jars every week or so, to allow the flavours to infuse.

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