Coastal Lamb Quinoa Salad

Article Image - Coastal Lamb

Prep timePrep: 25 mins

Cook timeCooking Time: 12 mins

ServesServes: 4

Ingredients

Lamb

  • 2-3 Coastal lamb rumps, trimmed of any silver skin
  • 2-3 teaspoons ground cumin
  • Dressing
  • 1 lemon
  • 1 clove garlic, crushed
  • 6 tablespoons olive oil, extra virgin olive oil is good here

 

Quinoa salad

  • 1 cup white quinoa, well washed
  • 1 small red onion, finely sliced and soaked in cold water for 10 minutes
  • 1 teaspoon sumac
  • 2 Lebanese cucumber, finely sliced
  • 4 small radishes, cut in half
  • 1 red capsicum, cored, seeded and finely sliced
  • 2 handfuls watercress or baby spinach
  • 1 small handful mint leaves, torn
  • 1 tablespoon pomegranate molasses, optional

Method

Preheat the oven to 190°C. Heat a roasting dish in the oven.

 

Lamb

Heat a frying pan over medium-high heat. Rub lamb rumps with a little oil and the cumin. Season and place in the hot pan and brown on both sides. Transfer lamb to the hot roasting dish in the oven and cook for 10 minutes for pink lamb. Remove from the oven, sprinkle with salt and cover loosely with foil and a clean tea towel and leave to rest for 10 minutes.

 

Dressing

Finely grate the zest of the lemon, cover and set aside. Juice the lemon and place in a screw top jar with the garlic and olive oil. Season and shake well.

 

Quinoa salad

Place the quinoa in a heavy-based saucepan and pour in 2 cups cold water. Place on the heat, cover and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 18-20 minutes until all the liquid is absorbed and the quinoa is light and fluffy.

 

To serve

Drain the red onion and pat dry with kitchen paper. Place in a large bowl and stir through the sumac. Add the quinoa and drizzle in the dressing. Mix with a fork, to keep the quinoa light and fluffy and add the cucumber, radishes, capsicum, watercress or spinach and mint leaves.

Place quinoa salad in 4 shallow serving bowls. Slice the lamb across the grain into thin slices and divide between the bowls. Drizzle with pomegranate molasses, if using and sprinkle over reserved lemon zest.