I remember clearly the first time I ate lamb with tapenade. It was over twenty years ago at Alastair Little’s restaurant in Soho. I was blown away by the flavours of salty olives, capers and anchovy which cut through the richness of the lamb. It was sublime. Don’t overcook the lamb for this recipe, keep it nice and pink please!
Image: Paul Johnston, Copper Mango
Serves 4
INGREDIENTS
4 fillets of Scotch Lamb
4 Pink Fir Apple potatoes, cooked and cut into thick slices
1 large handful mini plum Isle of Wight tomatoes
3 tablespoons pitted black Kalamata olives
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
1 tablespoon capers
3 to 4 anchovy fillets
75ml organic olive oil
Some fennel herb
Good salt and pepper
METHOD
To make tapenade, add the olives, capers, garlic, anchovy, and half the olive oil to a food processor. Don’t season with salt, but add a little pepper. Blitz to a rough paste.
Pour 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large frying pan and bring to a high heat, but not smoking or the oil will burn. Season the lamb and add it to the pan with the potatoes and cook until nicely browned all over. Be careful not to overcook the lamb – it will cook in 3 to 4 minutes.
Then add the mini plum tomatoes and season the entire pan with salt and pepper. Remove the lamb from the pan and allow to rest for 3 minutes.
To serve, slice the lamb into bite-size pieces. Place the potatoes on warmed plates along with the tomatoes and slices of lamb. Garnish with dots of tapenade and decorate with fennel herb. Drizzle any remaining olive oil all over the dish. Perfect.