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Griddled lamb cutlets with whipped rose harissa feta and sweet and sour cucumber
Serves 4-6 Starters and mains
Ingredients
- 8 small, lean lamb cutlers, cut from a French-trimmed rack
- juice 1/2 lemon
- 2tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- thin flatbreads, to serve
- fresh dill fronds, to garnish
For the sweet and sour cucumber
- 3/4 large cucumber
- 175ml Honeygar (or cider vinegar mixed with 4tbsp clear honey)
- 1tbsp chopped fresh dill
- 1tsp ground sumac
For the whipped feta
- 200g feta cheese
- 200g Greek yoghurt
- juice 1/2 lemon
- 2tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1/2 - 1tsp rose harissa, or to taste
- 10-12 Greek-style dried black olive, stoned and chopped
- 2tbsp pomegranate seeds, for sprinkling
- 1tbsp sesame seeds
Method
Lay the lamb cutlets on a baking tray and sprinkle them with sea salt, plenty of black pepper, lemon juice, and olive oil and rub into the cutlets. Leave to marinate for at least 1 hour.
For the sweet and sour cucumber, mix the vinegar, 175ml cold water and salt and pepper to taste in a bowl. If using Honeygar, you may like to add more honey to taste – it should be pleasantly sweet and sour. Slice the cucumber into very long thin ribbons on a mandolin or with a potato peeler. Put them in a clean tea towel and squeeze out the excess liquid, then drop them into the vinegar mixture and stir in the chopped dill. Keep the cucumber submerged in the pickle in the fridge for 30 minutes for a crunchy pickle, or longer for a softer pickle. The pickles will keep, chilled, for up to 1 week.
Crumble the feta into a bowl and, using an electric hand whisk, whisk in the yoghurt until smooth and creamy. Beat in harissa to taste, then lemon juice to taste. Season with salt and pepper if necessary. Spread the dip in a shallow serving bowl and drizzle the olive oil over it (this can be made a day in advance). Mix the olives, pomegranate and sesame seeds together and scatter over the surface. Cover and chill.
Preheat a griddle pan to high, then cook the cutlets for 2 minutes on each side, or until cooked but still pink in the middle (medium). Serve immediately on a board or tray with the whipped feta, pickled cucumber ribbons and flatbreads. Garnish with dill fronds.
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