Leg of Lamb Steak on Potato and Onion Swirl with Garlic and Mint Soured Cream

This is a recipe which can be a little bit awkward in the preparation. It is very important therefore for me to point out from the outset that not too much should be made of attempting to arrange the raw potato and onion slices in a swirl on the baking tray in the first instance. When they are cooked and are softer and more malleable, it will be very simple to arrange them effectively on the plate in the desired fashion.

It is of course not entirely necessary to arrange them as shown on the baking tray and they can equally well be laid out flat and separately, turned once half-way through cooking. I believe, however, that arranging them as shown in the first instance allows the flavour of the onions to permeate in to the potatoes and makes for a much tastier final result.

Ingredients

1 leg of lamb steak or fillet
1 medium sized potato (unpeeled, sliced to one-eighth inch thick)
1 small onion (peeled, sliced to one-eight inch thick)
1 tbsp low fat soured cream
6 fresh mint leaves (finely chopped)
1 clove of garlic (crushed)
Sunflower oil
Salt
Small knob of butter

Method

The first step is to prepare the soured cream garnish. This is simply a matter of combining the soured cream, mint and garlic in a small bowl, stirring well and covering with clingfilm, before refrigerating it until required.

Put the oven on to pre-heat to 400F/200C/Gas Mark 6. Add about a tablespoon of sunflower oil to a large bowl and season it well with salt. Place six potato slices in to the bowl and stir them around carefully but well to ensure even coating in the oil and salt.

Lightly grease a baking sheet with a little bit of butter and arrange the potato slices and six onion slices as shown. Remember not to be too particular as they can and will be tidied up at the time of service. Place the baking tray in to the oven for twenty-five minutes.

The leg of lamb steak will take about six minutes to cook on each side, if of the thickness (about half an inch) of the one shown. When the potato and onion swirl has been in the oven for about ten minutes, therefore, heat a little sunflower oil in a non-stick frying pan and fry the steak gently, turning half way through the cooking time. This will have it ready a few minutes before the potatoes and allow it to be pushed to the side to rest.

Cook the frozen peas as described on the packet. This usually entails putting them in to boiling water for two to three minutes. Drain them well when done.

Take the potato and onion swirl from the oven and carefully transfer it to a plate with a large spatula. Tidy up the construction as required. Sit the lamb steak on top, spoon the peas around it and top off with the soured cream.

Grilled Leg of Lamb Steak on Garlic Sweet Potato Mash

Those who know me from other sites around the Web will probably know that lamb is my favourite meat. I adore lamb cooked in so many different ways, with so many different ingredients. As sweet potatoes are probably my favourite vegetable - as well as being one of the most nutritious of all vegetables - this is a recipe which I love to make on a frequent basis.

The quanities described below are per person.

Ingredients

1 leg of lamb steak
1 large sweet potato
1 clove of garlic
2 tbsp of frozen peas
Salt, black pepper and malt vinegar to season

Method

Peel and chop the sweet potatoes in to pieces about one inch cubed. Put them in to a large pan of salted water and simmer for a total of twenty minutes.

When the sweet potatoes have been on for five minutes, place the leg of lamb steak under a medium to hot grill and cook for seven minutes each side.

The peas should be placed in a pan of boiling water two to three minutes before the sweet pottoes are due to be ready (see individual packet for details.)

When the lamb is ready, take it out of the oven and place it on a plate, covering it with aluminium foil to rest for a few minutes. Drain the peas well and season with freshly ground black pepper and malt vinegar to taste. Drain the sweet potatoes and mash them with the crushed clove of garlic. Arrange the sweet potato and garlic mash in a circle on a plate, surround with the peas and place the leg of lamb steak on top.

Delicious!

Do you love sweet potatoes as much as me? Are you even partly aware of the variety of different recipes which can be made with them? I bought the book below quite some time ago now and although I can't swear to it, I think that I have since made every recipe included in it. Here it is - available on both Amazon.com and Amazon.co.uk - for your inspection. This is one book which I can not recommend highly enough to any sweet potato lover - I promise!