Recipe of the Day: Sam Stern’s Griddled Lamb Cutlets with Hot Bread and Fresh Herb Salsa

Photography by Chris Terry

Feeds 2-3

INGREDIENTS

3–4 cutlets per person, whatever size you want (at room temperature)

a little olive oil

salt and pepper

4–6 slices of bread (coarse-textured white or sourdough)

Fresh herb salsa

15g mint (leaves only)

15g coriander

1/2 tbsp small capers, drained

5 anchovies

juice of 1/2 a lemon

4 tbsp olive oil

1 tsp Dijon mustard

No fancy tricks: it’s simply sweet meat teamed up with a saucy herby concoction. To mix it up a bit, slap on any lamb marinade (see below). Eat your salsa rough or blitz it into a smooth sauce.

PREP

Make the salsa: Wash and dry the mint leaves and coriander. For a rough salsa, chop the herbs pretty finely on a board with a sharp chef ’s knife. Place in a bowl with roughly chopped capers, anchovies and lemon juice, oil and mustard. For a smooth salsa, blitz everything in a food processor or hand-held blender until smooth.

Prep the cutlets: Trim the excess fat if necessary and rub a few drops of oil into the meat with your fingers (or use a pastry brush, if squeamish). Season lightly with pepper and a tiny bit of salt.

COOK

Heat a griddle pan till it’s almost smoking hot. Slap the meat down and cook for 2 minutes without shifting. Flip. Repeat for 2 minutes to colour well and flavour up. Turn each cutlet onto its fatty back with tongs and hold for a few seconds to brown up. For well-done, give the meat another minute per side. Test to see it’s done as you like it. Rest it on a plate and sprinkle with sea salt.

Griddle the bread in the hot pan for 30 seconds per side, or until crisp and marked by the lamb juices.

PLATE

Pile the cutlets and bread on a plate and let people grab. Serve the salsa in a bowl for dipping. Enjoy with tabbouleh or couscous salad, any griddled vegetables and mezze dips such as hummus and yoghurt mixed with crushed garlic.

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TIP

Team the salsa with lamb steaks, roasts or griddled chicken. The smooth one’s good with cheese soufflé (for dipping) or spread in an omelette.

TIME SAVER

Make up the salsa ahead and chill in a covered bowl until ready to use. The smooth version stores for up to 2 weeks.

CHANGE IT UP

Rub a bit of mint sauce and balsamic vinegar into the meat to flavour before oiling the pan and griddling. For sweet griddled cutlets, brush a a mix of honey, mint and lemon juice onto plain cutlets 2 minutes before they’re done. Or try baking your cutlets: marinate for at least 30 minutes, then bake at 180C/Gas 4 for 10 minutes per side.

MARINADES

1) Olive oil, lemon juice or white wine vinegar, Dijon mustard, garlic and thyme

2) Yoghurt, cumin, garlic, coriander, turmeric, cinnamon and lemon

3) Smoked paprika, lime, chilli powder and yoghurt

4) Chinese wine/vinegar, soy sauce, garlic, oyster sauce and coriander

 

This recipe and text have been taken from Virgin to Veteran: How to Get Cooking with Confidence by Sam Stern, published by Quadrille Publishing, £20

© Please do not reproduce this material without the permission of the publisher

Last minute Father’s Day suggestions…

If you are like us, you are probably still searching for that elusive present for difficult dads - if so, here’s TEN suggestions on how to make a Father’s day!

For the gardening guru:

For the keen ornithologist:

For the novice cook:

For the experienced cook:

For the wine lover:

For the dad who loves fish:

For the man who loves both food and travel particularly Italy:

…or if he loves food and travel from all around the world:

For the father who wants to make the ideal indian meal:

And finally, for the dad who loves iconic photography:

Sam Stern’s bruschetta recipes from his new book, Virgin to Veteran - How to Get Cooking with Confidence

BRUSCHETTA

from the new book from Sam Stern, Virgin to Veteran - How to Get Cooking with Confidence

Healthy/Fast/Feeds 2

Bruschetta… Italian for great-tasting stuff on toast. Here are three sweet toppings which work whether you’re cooking for yourself or the masses.

INGREDIENTS

1 garlic clove

4 x 2.5cm thick bread slices (ciabatta/French stick/country loaf)

a little olive oil

PREP Cut the garlic clove in half widthways. Make your topping of choice (see below).

COOK Put a griddle pan onto a high heat. Brush the bread lightly with oil. Griddle for a minute or two on each side till crisp and marked up.

PLATE Rub each bit of bread with the cut garlic clove before spooning over your chosen topping

TOPPINGS

1 BROAD BEAN AND WENSLEYDALE

Put a pan of water on to heat with a good pinch of salt. Bring to the boil. Add 110g broad beans (fresh or frozen) and simmer for 5–6 minutes till tender (test one). Drain into a colander. Cool under running water. Remove and discard their outer skins. Toss into a bowl. Add 30g roughly crumbled Wensleydale cheese, 3 tsp olive oil and 2 tsp lemon juice. Roughly mash the mix with a fork, leaving some good chunks. Taste and season lightly, adjusting the oil and lemon if needed.

2 TOMATO AND BLACK OLIVE

Slice 8–12 good-quality cherry or baby plum tomatoes in half lengthwise, slice in half again and tip into a bowl. Chop 6 black olives (if the stones are still in, remove them first by cutting round using a small, sharp knife) and add to the bowl with half a diced shallot. Add 1 tbsp oil,

a pinch each of salt and sugar, a little black pepper and a few rocket or basil leaves, if you like, and mix well.

3 HOT MIXED MUSHROOMS

Clean 350g mixed mushrooms (e.g. portobello, chestnut or oyster) with kitchen paper, trim if needed and slice into 1cm thick pieces. Put a heavy-bottomed medium frying pan over a medium heat with 50g butter and a drop or two of oil. Add a finely diced shallot and 1 crushed garlic clove and cook, stirring for a minute or two.

Add a small glass of white wine and bring to the boil. Lower to a simmer and add the mushrooms and a small pinch of dried thyme. Cook, stirring, for 2–3 minutes, until the mushrooms are soft but still holding their shape. Season to taste. Remove from the heat, stir through 1½ tbsp double cream/crème fraîche and squeeze over a little lemon juice.

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BONUS BITES - MUSHROOM AND TARRAGON TARTS

Make up the mushroom topping (see above) adding a pinch of dried or chopped tarragon. Spread on a base of thinly rolled bought all-butter puff pastry cut into large circles or as you like. Bake for 20 minutes at 200°C/Gas 6 or till the base is crisp.

CHANGE IT UP

Try rubbing the bread with a lemon or fresh rosemary/basil leaves instead of garlic.

For further details about the book and to watch Sam making the bruschetta recipes, please go to: http://www.virgintoveteran.com/

 Photography (C) CHRIS TERRY