Ananas Bar & Brasserie chef Neil Martin shares a recipe for a special occasion.
560g lamb rack (request a French-style 6 pinned lamb rack from your butcher)
6 slices of dried brioche, made into crumbs
Large handful parsley
Large handful mint
Handful thyme sprigs (stems removed)
For cous cous
400g cous cous
800ml chicken stock
Handful fresh mint leaves
6 diced dried apricots
Half handful toasted flaked almonds
4 sprigs thyme (remove stems)
Half handful of chopped parsley
200ml extra virgin olive oil
For pickled cucumber
1 continental cucumber
1/4 cup white wine vinegar
1/2 cup sugar
3/4 cup water
For roast capsicum
2 red capsicums
100ml extra virgin olive oil
Half handful chopped parsley
For smoked eggplant
2 medium eggplants
300g crème friache
2 tablespoons Moroccan spice mix
For yoghurt
200ml Greek yoghurt
Zest of 1 lemon
1 teaspoon Moroccan spice mix
For smoked eggplant:
If you have access to a BBQ, chargrill the whole eggplants until black. If not, place the eggplants in a 250C oven for 15 minutes (until cooked through).
Once cooked and cooled slightly, peel off the charred skin and place the flesh into a food processor, along with the Moroccan spice mix and salt. Blitz to a fine
paste.
Remove from processor and add half the crème fraiche. Mix through in a bowl and set aside.
For roast capsicum:
Heat oven to 250 degrees Celsius, then place the 2 whole capsicums on a roasting tray, drizzled with extra virgin olive and seasoned with salt and pepper.
Keep in oven for 10 minutes, or until skin starts to blister. Remove from the oven and put into a mixing bowl covered with cling film.
Set aside for 8 minutes until the capsicum begins to soften. Once softened up, remove the seeds and skin.
Slice into strips and season with 100ml of extra virgin olive oil, salt pepper and a sprinkle of chopped parsley.
For lamb rack crust:
Place brioche, mint, parsley and thyme into a food processor and gently pulse until it becomes a fine crumb consistency, then set aside.
For lamb rack:
In a smoking hot pan, seal the lamb (fat side down) until golden brown, and then brown rest of the rack.
Remove from the pan and gently place the herb crust on the fat side of the meat.
Place into a 190 degree Celsius oven for 8 minutes, then remove from the oven and cover in foil to rest.
For cous cous
Bring chicken stock to the boil. Once boiling, pour over the cous cous in a bowl and cover in cling wrap.
Once cooled, add the remaining ingredients into the bowl and mix gently through the cous cous.
Add 400ml of good quality extra virgin olive oil and season to taste.
For pickled cucumber:
Slice the cucumber into thin discs and place in a bowl.
In a pan, add 3 parts water to 2 parts sugar, to 1 part vinegar and bring mix to the boil.
Once boiling, take off the stove, and allow mixture to cool slightly.
Once cooled, add to the cucumbers.
For yoghurt:
Mix yoghurt, Moroccan spices and lemon zest and set aside.
To serve:
Place lamb onto a bed of cous cous, and strategically place the cucumbers around the lamb. Dress with capsicums, yogurt and eggplant puree.
Note: photo shows serving for one person
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