Anyone who knows me well, knows that I love chilli. I’ve tried not to love it so much, I think I might go a bit crazy with it sometimes so I went through a time where I just tried not eating chilli for a month. I guess you can say it’s like an addiction for me! In fact, I ordered something in a Thai restaurant the other day and I loved it but could barely eat it as I was crying from the level of heat it had! Recently I’ve been ROASTING chilli, peppers and more…which just brings out a whole other level of sweetness and chilli flavour combined. This sauce is nicely balanced so it brings a medium level of heat and you can actually just use less Birdseye chilli, and paired with crispy salty chips and some perfectly cooked lamb backstrap is just incredible. It doesn’t take too long either – you just need a few oven shelves available and a hot grill pan, but a normal fry pan will do just fine. So, give this a go…:) you will love it!
Spiced lamb backstrap with roasted feta and potato chips, cherry tomatoes, and a chili dipping sauce
Prep time: 30 minutes
Cook time: 35 minutes
Serves: 2
Ingredients:
1 x tsp. sumac
1 x tsp. cumin
1 x tsp. coriander
2 x tsp. yoghurt
1 x large piece of lamb backstrap
100 g x feta
700 g x potatoes (roasting potatoes)
1-4 x Birdseye chilli (1 for mild, 4 for very hot) (stem removed)
2-3 x bull horn chilli (cut in half and seeds removed)
garlic (skin kept on for roasting)
onion (skin removed and halved)
400 g x cherry truss tomatoes
olive oil
salt
Method:
- Mix the spices and yoghurt in a small cup then in a bowl coat the lamb backstrap in the spiced yoghurt marinade. Cover with plastic wrap and place in the fridge for 30 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 180 degrees.
- Clean and wash the potatoes then keeping the skin on cut into ‘chip’ size pieces. Place the potatoes into a bowl of water and soak for 15 minutes (This will make the potatoes crispier once they come out of the oven after roasting).
- Strain the potatoes from the water and coat the potatoes with olive oil and salt. Spread out evenly over a large oven baking tray (one layer, use 2 trays if you need). Bake for a total of 35 minutes, turning over the potatoes after the first 15 minutes and after 25 minutes, remove the tray from the oven and add crumbled feta over the top of the potatoes.
- Bake the cherry truss tomatoes in a small tray or along with the potatoes on the side.
- Meanwhile prepare the ingredients for the dipping sauce by roasting the bull horn chilli, the birds eye chilli, the garlic and onion with a coating of olive oil and seasoning of salt. Roast on an oven shelf under the potatoes for 30 minutes. Then remove from the oven and place all ingredients into a food processor, making sure to remove the tough skin from the garlic and just using the softened, caramelized garlic. Blend, adding more olive oil for an extra creaming roasted chilli dipping sauce.
- Meanwhile the potatoes finish roasting prepare to cook the lamb backstrap. Remove the lamb backstrap from the fridge and chargrill on a hot grill pan or a fry pan if you don’t have a chargrill pan.
- Cook the lamb on both sides 4 minutes on each side (or longer if you like it very well done, less time if the lamb backstrap is small), then set aside and allow to rest (covered with foil or a plate). After the cooked lamb has rested slice into thin pieces
- Serve the lamb along with the roasted potato chips with feta, the cherry truss tomatoes and the chilli dipping sauce.
Created in collaboration with Harris Farm Markets.