Mint Crusted Lamb with a Red Wine & Redcurrant Sauce

2 Lamb loins

2 carrots chopped and then cooked for 10 mins in salted boiling water

1 slice of stale(ish) white bread blitzed in the food processor to make breadcrumbs

A handful of mint leaves.

3 tablespoons of redcurrant jelly

1 shot of red wine (leaves the rest to have with the meal!)

Salt

Pepper

preparation 5 mins • you cook for 12 mins • total time 17 mins

Serves 2

Watch a 30 second preview of my cook-along video below

If you cannot view the video below, click here to download QuickTime from Apple's website.

I love lamb for a nice Sunday roast but sometimes you don't want to make a huge traditional dinner. I decided to take the best bits from a lamb roast, and make a quick and easy alternative that looks great too! The mint crust works so well with the juicy lamb - it's like a 'mini-roast'. At 17 minutes from fridge to table this is perfect for weeknights!

Frying pan for the lamb (preferably safe to put under the grill)

Alternatively pan for lamb and a baking tray

Food processor

Saucepan for the carrots

Small saucepan for the sauce

Spoons to stir

Before you start, have the carrots cooked, drained & back in the pan. Turn your grill on to preheat on a high heat and have the lamb out & ready. Put your frying pan on a high heat, the mint and breadcrumbs to the side and click here!

Turn your grill on to a high heat and put your pan for the lamb on the hob getting nice and hot. Season the lamb with salt and pepper on both sides and when the pan's just starting to smoke, add a little swirl of oil and add the lamb. The lamb will take 3 minutes on the first side, so go and get rid of your chopping board and wash your hands then you can make the mint crust.

To make the crust, all you need to do is put the mint and breadcrumbs into the food processor with a little pinch of salt and pepper and give it a blitz for about 10 seconds. Next you need to add in about a tablespoon of olive oil to bind it all together. Blend again for about 10 seconds. It should be about 3 minutes now, so go and turn the lamb and hopefully it should be nice and caramelised on one side.

Turn the lamb and cook for 1 minute whilst you finish the crust. Empty the contents of the food processor onto a plate and you should already notice the gorgeous fresh smell of the mint.

Go and turn the heat off the lamb and bring your pan over. (Careful with the hot pan on your work surface). Now you just need to spoon the crust mix onto the lamb dividing the mix evenly. Press down lightly with your fingers to compact it in place.

Pop the pan under the grill, or transfer to a baking tray for 4 minutes whilst you make the sauce and finish the carrots. Turn your small saucepan onto a medium heat and add 3 tablespoons of redcurrant jelly into the pan together with a shot of red wine. Give it a little stir and leave it to come to the boil.

Turn the heat on the carrots and go and get the garlic clove. Don't bother peeling the garlic, just pop it on the work surface and give it a bash with the heel of your hand, just to open it up a little. Add this in with the carrots and then give your sauce a little stir. Add about a teaspoon of oil to the carrots and give it a shake around in the pan to get the carrots coated.

Your sauce should be bubbling away nicely, so give it a stir, then shake the pan of carrots. Add a little pinch of salt and pepper to the carrots and shake the pan again. Turn the heat off the redcurrant jelly and it should be about 4 minutes, so take the lamb out of the grill. It should be looking nice and golden on top.

Carefully remove the lamb to a board and then turn the heat off the carrots (they should have started to brown slightly.) Take everything over to the work surface and bring in your plates.

To serve, take a spoon on carrots and discarding the garlic, carefully place them in the middle of the plate. Tidy up the stack with your fingers and then place the lamb on top of the carrots. All that's left to do is drizzle some of the sauce around the side and you're done!

I hope that you enjoy it.

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