This is the first in my collection of recipes for lovers. Of course, we all know about Valentine ’s Day on the 14th February. My husband, though is Welsh and he celebrates the native Welsh saint of lovers, Saint Dwynwen’s day on the 25th of January. So we get two chances to celebrate. This first recipe is for St Dwynwen’s day and what can be more Welsh that Lamb and Laverbread. Laverbread is a paste made from dulse seaweed and is a Welsh speciality. This really is a dish intended for sharing and the best way to eat these lamb racks is to cut them into cutlets, dip in the laverbread and herb sauce followed by the lemon crumbs. If you can’t get laverbread, you can make an acceptable substitute using nori (sushi seaweed) sheets cooked down to a paste in water. I couldn’t help adjusting the recipe a little by adding chilli flakes to the breadcrumb mixture (but you can omit these).
Prep time 20 minutes/Cook time 20 minutes/Serves 2
Ingredients:
1 rack of lamb (cut in half – 3-4 bones per person)
1 generous handful fresh mint leaves
1 generous handful fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 garlic clove, crushed
1 dessert spoon small capers
6 cornichons (tiny, tart, French gherkins)
3 tbsp olive oil
Finely-grated zest of 2 lemons
juice of 1 lemon
1 dessert spoon laver bread (or nori boiled to a paste in water)
4 tablespoons breadcrumbs
1 tsp chilli flakes (optional)
1 tablespoon oil
1 ½ tbsp butter
Method:
Preheat the oven to 200˚C (180˚C fan/400˚F/Gas 6. Score the fat on the lamb and season well with sea salt and freshly-ground black pepper. Sear in a hot non-stick pan until golden and place in the oven for 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to rest for five minutes.
Finely chop the mint, parsley, garlic and cornichons. Add the olive oil, zest of one lemon, lemon juice and laverbread and stir to combine. Season to taste (go easy on the salt as the laverbread will be salty).
Heat the oil in a frying pan and add the butter, wait until the butter begins bubbling before adding the breadcrumbs and chilli flakes, then toss in the butter and oil. Cook over a medium heat until crisp and golden. Remove from the heat and add the remainder of the lemon zest.
Divide the lamb into cutlets and serve with the laverbread dipping sauce and lemon breadcrumbs.
