Mammoth dinner/picnic menu part 3

 Now I have finally got round to continuing the picnic menu I started in the summer. I doubt any one will remember but I managed to get up to the appetisers and starters. This post is the recipe for the main course which was a beautifully sweet rack of lamb. I found the recipe in one of my mum's cookbooks which is from Ottolenghi. It wasn't really a cookbook which had a lot of recipes that jumped out at me but my mum had only just got the book and said she had only tried a few recipes from it. It was for this reason I wanted to make sure I included a recipe from the book and it turned out to be the perfect one. When it came to planning the main course, I had difficulty finding something interesting and meaty that would be nice to have cold. When flipping through the ottolenghi cookbook, I stumbled across this recipe which said it would be perfect hot or cold. From then I was sold and I'm glad I made that decision. I was lucky enough to try the end result too as some of the lamb came back from the picnic and it was delicious!


Ottolenghi Marinated Rack of Lamb with Coriander and Honey

(serves 4)

1kg rack of lamb, french trimmed

20g flat leaf parsley, leaves and stalks

30g mint, leaves and stalks

30g coriander, leaves and stalks

4 garlic cloves, peeled

15g fresh ginger, peeled and sliced

3 chillies, seeded (I actually deseeded the chillies and I think the heat was perfect, any more and it would have been too much)

½ teaspoon salt

50ml lemon juice

60ml soy sauce

120ml sunflower oil

3 tablespoons honey

2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

4 tablespoons water

Make sure most of the fat is trimmed off the lamb, leaving a uniform thin layer that will keep the meat moist and add to the flavour. Use a very sharp knife to separate the rack into portions of two or three cutlets. place in a non-metal container.

Blitz together all the remaining ingredients in a food processor, pour them over the lamb and make sure it is well covered for a night in the marinade. Refrigerate overnight.

Preheat the oven to 200c and heat up a griddle pan.

Remove the meat from the marinade, shaking off the excess. sear well on all sides, about 5 minutes in total. transfer to a baking tray and cook in the oven for about 15 minutes, depending on the size of the racks and how well cooked you want them.

Meanwhile, heat the marinade in a small pan and simmer for 5 minutes.

I served with some lovely herby couscous and roasted peppers, perfect for a warm evening.