Roast Lamb With Mint Cumin And Roast Carrots Food

CUMIN CARROTS

Steps:

• Put the carrots in a shallow saucepan and just cover with water. Add the star anise, butter and 1 tsp salt, then bring to the boil and simmer for 10 mins until the carrots are just cooked. Leave the carrots to cool a bit in the liquor, then remove and pat dry.
• Heat the oil in a large frying pan. Roll the carrots in the cumin, patting off any excess.
• Carefully fry the carrots until golden brown. Serve straight away, or keep warm in the oven until ready to serve.

ROAST LAMB WITH MINT, CUMIN, AND ROAST CARROTS

Steps:

• Put the lamb in a roasting pan. Peel the garlic and put it into a food processor with the cumin seeds, mint leaves, and lemon juice. Add a generous grinding of salt and some black pepper. Process to a coarse paste, adding enough olive oil to make a spreadable slush, thick enough to cling to the lamb.
• Massage the roast well with the spice paste, spreading it over the skin and into the cut sides of the flesh. Set aside in a cool place (preferably not the fridge) for an hour, basting occasionally with any of the paste that has run off.
• Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C). Scrub the carrots and beets. If they are small, you can probably get away with a rinse. Either way, be careful with their skins, which are tender at this point in their life. Put the meat in the oven and roast for forty-five minutes to an hour, tucking the vegetables in around it after twenty minutes. The cooking time for the lamb will depend on how you like it done; forty-five minutes should give you a roast that is still pink and juicy inside. Remove from the oven and rest the meat for a good ten to fifteen minutes before carving and serving with the mint béarnaise below.
• If you want to make a gravy, transfer the meat and carrots to a warm place, put the roasting pan over medium heat, then pour in a large glass of wine or stock, or even water, and bring it to a boil. Stir with a wooden spoon, scraping away at the pan to dissolve any stuck-on meat juices. Let the gravy bubble a little, check it for seasoning (it may need salt and pepper), then keep it warm while you carve the lamb.

CUMIN-SPICED ROASTED CARROTS

Steps:

• Put the carrots, thyme, rosemary, garlic, star anise and bay leaf in a saucepan and just cover with water. Season well with sea salt and bring to the boil. Simmer the carrots slowly for about 30 mins until soft and tender, then remove from the heat and allow to cool. Once cooled, remove the carrots from the water with a slotted spoon, pat dry with kitchen paper, transfer to a plate and put in the fridge for 20 mins until completely chilled.
• In a large frying pan, heat the olive oil to just under smoking, then fry the carrots for about 5 mins until golden brown all over. Turn the heat down, add the butter and cumin seeds, roll the carrots around until they are lovely and glossy, then remove and serve.

CUMIN-CRUSTED LAMB WITH SHALLOTS & CRUSHED NEW POTATOES

Steps:

• Heat oven to 220C/200C fan/gas 7. Mix the spices with a generous pinch of salt, then coat the lamb in the mix. Heat a large ovenproof frying pan. Sizzle the lamb, fat-side down, for 5 mins. Flip the lamb, then put the shallots, cut-side down, in the pan. Transfer the pan to the oven and roast for 10 mins for pink lamb, or 15 mins for medium. Remove the pan from the oven, then leave to stand for 5 mins.
• Meanwhile, put the potatoes on to boil and simmer until just cooked. Drain, then gently crush with a potato masher. Add the spring onions and lemon zest, season, then keep warm until ready to serve.
• Remove the lamb and shallots from the pan. Stir the capers, mint, lemon juice and a splash of olive oil (if needed) into the lamb juices to make a dressing. Slice the lamb and separate the shallots into layers. Spoon the potatoes onto warm plates, add slices of lamb and some shallots, then spoon over the dressing.