Meat mains
Lamb steak with rosemary, lentils & greens, & tomato, olive & caper dressing
Classic flavours combine in this healthy lamb and lentil dish, accompanied by our seasonal spring greens and topped with a tangy Italian style tomato dressing.
Cook's notes
The best way to wash spring greens, along with other greens and leeks which have a tendency to harbour mud and grit, is to soak them in a bowl of cold water or the sink for a few minutes to let the dirt fall to the bottom, then scoop them out and give them an extra quick rinse if needed. This dish is gluten free, just check your mustard pot for anything sneaky hiding in there.
Ingredients
- 1 onion
- 1 sprig rosemary
- oil for frying, e.g. sunflower or light olive
- 2 tbsp capers
- 100g lentils
- 1 large or 2 small garlic cloves
- 2 bay leaves
- 4 tomatoes
- 60g black olives
- 150g spring greens
- 15g parsley
- 2 lamb steaks
- 1 lemon
- 1 tbsp Dijon mustard – add to taste
- 1 tbsp red wine vinegar – add to taste
Method
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Step 1
Peel and finely slice the onion. Pick the leaves off the rosemary sprig. Finely chop until they look like breadcrumbs. Put the capers in a mug of cold water. Leave them to soak to remove some of the saltiness from the brine they're packed in.
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Step 2
Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a medium pan. Add the onion and rosemary. Fry on a low heat for 10 minutes, stirring now and then, until soft and translucent. Add a splash of water at any point if they look like catching.
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Step 3
Meanwhile, rinse the lentils in a sieve. Peel and finely chop or crush the garlic. After 10 minutes, put a kettle of water on to boil. Add the garlic to the onion and stir for 1 minute. Add the lentils and bay leaves to the onion and pour in 500ml of boiling water. Bring up to the boil. Cook for 15 minutes, stirring now and then, topping up with a little more water if needed to stop it drying out.
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Step 4
Meanwhile, cut a little cross in the base of the tomatoes. Put them in a heatproof bowl or pan. Pour over enough boiling water to cover them. Soak for about 1 minute, until the skins look a little loose. Scoop them out into a colander, rinse until cool enough to handle, then peel off the skins. If they don't come away easily, dunk back in the hot water for 20-30 seconds, then repeat the peeling process.
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Step 5
Cut the tomatoes into quarter's, scoop out the seeds then finely dice. Put them in a bowl. Finely chop the olives and add those to the tomatoes. Drain the capers, roughly chop and add those too. Wash the spring green leaves. Cut out the central stalks with a thin 'V' shape. Lay the leaves on top of each other, roll them up into a cylinder shape then finely shred.
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Step 6
Wash and shake dry the parsley. Roughly chop the leaves. After 20 minutes, stir the spring greens into the lentils, adding a splash more oil if needed. Cook for about 8-10 minutes, until wilted. Meanwhile, heat a frying pan. Douse the lamb in a little oil and season with salt and pepper. Fry the lamb for 2-3 minutes on each side. Remove to a plate to rest.
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Step 7
Stir the parsley into the tomato mix and season with salt and pepper. Add a drizzle of olive oil and a squeeze of lemon juice to taste. When the lentils and greens are cooked, add the Dijon mustard and red wine vinegar and extra salt and pepper to taste too, if needed. Serve with the lamb topped with the tomato dressing.