“This is a blast from the past for me as I hadn’t used this combination for years until recently. I almost forgot about it! Everything just works. I like to chop the basil very small and even infuse some in the sauce. Not too heavy with the tomato and olive giving it a hint of the Mediterranean. Those fat and juicy kalamata olives are superb with this dish.”

Serves 2
Prep time: 1 hour; cooking time: 1 hour

INGREDIENTS

Half a loin of lamb from your butcher or market trader, skin removed, and fat scored so it renders more easily
1 tablespoon rapeseed oil
1 tomato, cut into quarters, seeds removed and retained, flesh chopped
1 tablespoon kalamata olives, pitted
Good salt and pepper
A few basil leaves. chopped
500ml good, strong lamb or beef stock
1 small shallot, peeled and roughly chopped
Half a celery stick, roughly chopped
1 rosemary frond
1 clove garlic
1 glass red wine

METHOD

To make the sauce, add the shallots and add a half teaspoon of oil to a small pot and fry. Add the celery and fry again until there’s a good colour. This will take 2 to 3 minutes. Next, add the rosemary, garlic and wine. Reduce for around 4 minutes until the wine resembles a glaze. Add the stock, bring to the boil and simmer for 40 minutes, skimming as you go. Add the tomato seeds. When simmered, pass the sauce through a fine sieve and reduce by at least half until the sauce is the consistency of double cream – about another 10 minutes. Add a leaf or two of basil and set to one side.

To roast the lamb, get a frying pan moderately hot on the hob and add the remaining oil. Season the lamb with salt and pepper and fry fat side down in the hot oil for 2 to 3 minutes until golden brown. Roll the lamb over and continue cooking carefully for about 5 minutes until all the meat is coloured, seasoning as you go. Finally, add a little knob of butter and baste the lamb. The lamb should be just firm to touch. It may need to go in the oven (at 180°C) for 2 to 3 minutes. When ready, remove the meat from the pan and rest in a warm place.

Meanwhile, add the chopped tomato, olives and basil to the warm sauce and return to the heat.

To serve, carve the lamb and place on a warm plate. Spoon over the warm sauce, and serve with buttery mash and greens.