Recipe: Roasted Lamb and Greek Salad
***Rachel Khoo would like to thank all the inspiring people who helped make the Khoollect studio a hive of creativity. Although the Khoollect studio’s doors have now closed, you can keep up with Rachel’s newest adventures on RachelKhoo.com and on Rachel’s Instagram and Facebook pages – and, continue to enjoy the Khoollect website’s stories and recipes, which will remain available.***
In the iconic Nia Vardalos film, My Big Fat Greek Wedding, food, family and love are the focus. When Toula meets Ian and they fall in love, at first he doesn’t quite realise that also means falling into her family. When he meets them all at their family restaurant, Dancing Zorba’s, Toula must announce that her new love interest is vegetarian. Silence stops the room until her aunt exclaims ‘That’s okay, he can eat lamb’ – clearly missing the concept of vegetarianism. But, it’s a moment of sweetness and sincerity – he is being accepted into the family and will be fed as a sign of their love.
This recipe is a mix of classic Greek flavours. It’s simple but wholesome in its charm. A rack of lamb will always look impressive – it’s a showstopper on a plate, perfect for welcoming someone new to a family. It’s salty, sweet, a little spicy, and served with sour pickled cucumber, it’s a great meal for a night in.
Roasted lamb and Greek salad inspired by My Big Fat Greek Wedding
Marinate your rack of lamb in a mixture of the zest of one unwaxed lemon, lots of chopped up rosemary, finely minced garlic, chilli flakes and olive oil. Let the lamb rest in the marinade till it’s about room temperature so that it cooks more evenly when you roast it.
Finely slice cucumbers and let them pickle in some red wine vinegar, sugar, salt and torn up dill. They will be sweet and sour by the time you’re ready to serve.
Boil a handful of small potatoes per person. Once par-boiled add to the base of your roasting tray. They will be the bed for your lamb. Throw in two garlic cloves unpeeled and a drizzle of olive oil to help the potatoes crisp.
In a separate roasting tray, roast your cherry tomatoes just tossed in a little olive oil and salt. Put both the potatoes and tomatoes into the oven 20 minutes ahead of the lamb at 180C.
Once the lamb has been marinated and is at room temperature, add lots of sea salt to the outside of the joint before you put it in the oven at 200C. Roast to the weight of the joint that you buy – I like serving mine just blushing.
Once cooked to your liking, rest the lamb and toss together the potatoes, cherry tomatoes, torn up fresh oregano, the juice of the zested lemon and crumbled shards of feta. Serve together with the lightly pickled cucumber.
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