A nice dish for entertaining friends, marinated lamb neck fillet served with roasted winter squash and a garlic, herb and lemon dressing is quick to prepare but sure to impress.
Prep Time: 5 mins
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Serves: 4 people
Ingredients
4 lean lamb neck fillets
1 small winter squash or pumpkin, peeled, deseeded and cut into 12 hearty wedges
1 large garlic clove, peeled and crushed
¼ teaspoon ground mace (nutmeg will do but mace is better)
Pinch of cayenne pepper or dried chilli flakes
2 tablespoons sunflower oil
15g unsalted butter
For the Lamb Marinade:
2 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
2 sprigs fresh rosemary, finely chopped
2 tablespoons dry white wine
2 tablespoons extra virgin rapeseed or olive oil
For the Dressing:
1 fresh bay leaf, very finely chopped
1 sprig of fresh thyme
1 garlic clove, peeled and crushed
2 shallots, peeled and finely chopped
1 small handful freshly chopped flat-leaf parsley
Grated zest of 1 lemon
4 anchovy fillets, drained and finely chopped
4 tablespoons extra virgin rapeseed or olive oil
Method
To prepare the lamb marinade, in a small bowl mix all the ingredients together. Place the fillets in a large shallow dish, spoon over the marinade, cover and refrigerate for 2 hours, or overnight.
Prepare the dressing by mixing all the ingredients except the oil in a small bowl, season and then slacken the mixture with enough oil to give a nice spooning consistency and set aside for later.
Preheat the oven to 250°C, 230°C Fan, Gas mark 9. Place the squash or pumpkin wedges in a large bowl and toss with the seasoning, garlic, mace, cayenne and oil. Tip out into a large roasting tin and arrange so they are all in one layer. Dot with the butter. Cook for 15 minutes then reduce the oven temperature to 190°C, 170°C Fan, Gas mark 5 and turn and cook for a further 10-15 minutes. They should have nice golden brown bits on the outside and be soft and squidgy on the inside.
Heat a large non-stick griddle or frying pan until really hot. Season the lamb with salt and pepper and cook for 5-10 minutes on each side, depending on how well done you want them, then transfer to a warm plate to rest for 5 minutes.
Place a few pieces of squash on each plate, slice each fillet into chunky slices and place half on and half off the squash. Add a tablespoon of dressing on top and serve with seasonal vegetables.