serves
2-4
prep
10 minutes
cook
10 minutes
difficulty
Easy
serves
2-4
people
preparation
10
minutes
cooking
10
minutes
difficulty
Easy
level
Ingredients
- 2 large lamb backstraps, approximately 360 g in total, at room temperature
Salsa verde
- 100 g celery, diced into 1 cm pieces (any pretty inner leaves chopped and added in with the herbs)
- 1 lemon
- 2 garlic cloves, very finely mashed
- 20 g small capers, roughly chopped
- 2 cups flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped
- 1 cup mint, finely chopped
- 100 g olive oil
- river salt and black pepper
Instructions
For the salsa verde, blanch the celery in a small pot of boiling water for 5 seconds and then refresh in iced water. Drain and dry it out on some paper towel.
Finely zest the lemon. In a small mixing bowl combine the celery, garlic, capers and herbs. Add in the olive oil and zest, season and combine. Set aside.
Season the lamb and char it over a grill plate or barbecue on high heat for about 3 minutes on each side. Be careful not to overcook it as it is a very unforgiving cut. Set it aside to rest in a warm place briefly.
When you are ready, slice the backstrap into thick slices and place on a serving dish along with any tasty cooking juices that may have released from the meat. Top with the salsa verde and serve immediately.
Note
• This salsa verde works equally well on other grilled meats but is also subtle enough for a piece of charred or pan-fried fish, especially a slightly oily variety.
Photography by Sharyn Cairns. Styling by Lee Blaylock. Food preparation by Tiffany Page. Creative concept by Lou Fay.
Read our interview with Tama. This recipe is from our online column, The seasonal cook: celery. View previous The seasonal cook columns and recipes.
Cook's Notes
Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.
