Roasted Lamb Rack

This roasted lamb rack is cooked with Jamie Oliver's homemade barbecue sauce (from his Jamie At Home series) slowly in the oven and served with potato chips and guacamole.

I bought this beautiful rack of lamb from the butcher this morning (smaller racks, around 4 cutlets, are usually readily available at butchers). I love this cut for its tenderness and its outer layer of fat that seals in all the juices during cooking. Best served rare to medium rare, lamb cutlets are deliciously pink and juicy on the inside. With the barbecue sauce, the lamb is smoky and fragrant with a hint of sweet and hot. Homemade potato chips and a tangy guacamole dip make this a fantastic meal to share between 4 (or an epic meal between 2!).

Jamie Oliver's Homemade Barbecue Sauce

1 heaped teaspoon cumin seeds
2 teaspoons fennel seeds
5 cloves
Salt and pepper
1 bunch fresh thyme, leaves picked
1 bunch rosemary, leaves picked
1 orange, zested and juiced
1 bulb garlic, peeled
4 heaped teaspoons sweet smoked paprika
6 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
½ cup organic tomato ketchup
8 tablespoons olive oil
10 bay leaves

Grind cumin seeds, fennel seeds, cloves, salt and pepper in a mortar and pestle.

Chop thyme and rosemary leaves, orange zest and garlic together finely.

Combine with herbs in a large bowl and add all other ingredients.

Roasting the lamb rack

Using a large zip-lock bag, place in the lamb rack and half of the barbecue sauce. Rub the sauce into the meat.

Add jalapeño peppers for some heat.

Seal and marinate in fridge for at least 2 hours.

Preheat the oven to 200˚C.

Roast for 40 - 60 minutes, depending on how rare you want your lamb. Baste the rack with the remaining barbecue sauce halfway through.

Rest for at least 15 minutes so that the meat relaxes and retains maximum juiciness.

Carve and serve!

Homemade potato chips

1 potato
1 sweet potato (optional)
Oil for deep-frying
Salt to season

Heat the oil in a wok over medium high heat.

Cut the potatoes into thin slices (about 2-3mm).

To find the perfect temperature for deep-frying, place a thick piece of potato in the oil. When it turns golden brown, the temperature of the oil is just right.

Drop potato slices carefully down the side of the wok. Cook the potato in batches to keep the oil at the right temperature.

When golden brown, remove from oil and dry on paper towels.

Salt lightly.

Guacamole

1 avocado
½ brown onion
6 - 8 yellow grape tomatoes
Juice of half a lemon
Salt and pepper
1 teaspoon chopped chives to serve

Blitz the avocado, onion, tomato, lemon juice, salt and pepper in a food processor to your desired consistency.

If you can't find yellow grape tomatoes, finely dice 1 red tomato and mix in by hand.

Garnish with chives.

Enjoy!

Balsamic Glazed Chicken and Bacon with Roasted Beetroot

As promised, here is the recipe for my balsamic glazed chicken and bacon, roasted beetroot and warm garlic and leek dressing. It's a simple and dynamite combo - not to mention a vibrant celebration of what's in season.

You'll need:

2-3 medium beetroot bulbs
6 cloves garlic
150g thick rindless bacon
2 chicken thighs
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
2 teaspoons sugar
1 leek stalk
Juice of a quarter of a lime
2 tablespoons cream
Olive oil
Salt and pepper

Serves 2

Preheat oven to 180°C.

Lay down 2 layers of aluminium foil. Place beetroot and garlic cloves (skin on, crushed) in the centre and wrap up foil, sealing tightly.

Roast in oven for 1 hour.

Sauteé leek slices in olive oil over low heat. Remove from heat when the leek is translucent. Place in a measuring cup or deep bowl.

Cut chicken into 1 inch cubes and bacon into strips. Wrap bacon around chicken in an S-shape, put on metal skewer.

In the same pan used for the leek, heat olive oil on a medium heat. Place skewers in. Brown on all sides. 15 minutes will give the chicken enough time to cook all the way through (metal skewers will cook the chicken from the inside too).

Remove skewers from pan and deglaze pan with balsamic vinegar and sugar. Put skewers back on, coating them with the glaze. Remove from heat and set aside.

To the leek, add the roasted garlic, lime juice, leftover oils and juices from the pan, more olive oil if desired, cream and salt and pepper. Blitz to a pureé.

Peel beetroots. The skin should come off easily by lightly pressing it. Cut into eighths.

If you want the dish to look gourmet, remove the meat from the skewers. Arrange the meat in the middle of the plate and place beetroot slices around. Dollop dressing on top.

Enjoy!

How To Lose a Day in the Kitchen

It's been one of those days where I've spent the whole morning and afternoon thinking about and making food. I can spend hours in a fresh food market and be fascinated by the wonderful colours and shapes. My favourite part is ripping apart herb leaves and smelling and tasting them (while no one's looking, of course).

These holidays I've been putting more thought into what I cook. Time and patience make cooking a cathartic experience. From the creativity of putting flavours and textures together (it's amazing how we can imagine the visuals and tactility of food) to the humdrum of chopping vegetables (when we get to really know our food), cooking is an all-consuming experience. It gives me peace of mind, time to think. I plate things up and I'm a better person.

Today I decided to try out an oldie of mine (chicken and bacon on skewers, glazed with balsamic vinegar and sugar) with something I'd never tried before (roasted beetroot in a salad of beetroot leaves, cos lettuce and raw leek). To that I added a dressing of pureed roasted garlic and sauteed leeks, olive oil, lime juice, cream, salt and pepper. The skewers of meat were smoky and sweet, which went together beautifully with the creamy, garlicky and slightly acidic dressing. And the mellowed beetroot was surprisingly delightful (I'm not one who enjoys beetroot in burgers, but this I loved).

The best part of today? I've come up with a new dish to add to my repertoire, I've learnt how to improve it (for one, the raw leek has to go) and I've had a long, enjoyable day in the kitchen.

I'll be putting up a vlog for this recipe soon, very soon, so keep your eyes peeled. In the meantime, keeping cooking and expanding your comfort zone, and please feel free to comment with suggestions!

Smoked Salmon Salad

Smoked salmon with avocado, baby spinach, red onion, feta and fresh mint, dressed with olive oil, balsamic vinegar and lime juice. Garnished with fried ginger strips. I foodgasmed. Twice.