Hot pepper lamb rack with smoked almond and inca berry tabbouleh and spiced carrot

Tam West

This recipe combines two of my great food loves – lamb racks and fresh herbs, lots of them. It calls for a few new ingredients, the gochujang paste you can get from most Asian grocers and inca berries, which are available at most organic fruit and veg shops. Both are well worth the effort to find. Once you have all the ingredients, it’s really a quick marinade-and-build style of dish that is packed with complementing flavours.

Lamb and marinade

2	Lamb racks, 8 bones in each, racks split on half (Main)
2 Tbsp	Gochujang, hot pepper paste (Main)
½ Tbsp	Soy sauce
½ Tbsp	Ginger paste
½ Tbsp	Garlic paste
2 Tbsp	Water

Smoked almond tabbouleh

2 Tbsp	Almonds, smoked and sliced
2 Tbsp	Dried inca berries, chopped (Main)
2 Tbsp	Cherry tomatoes, halved
2 Tbsp	Dried apricots, diced
2 Tbsp	Cucumbers, diced
1 cup	Flat leaf (Italian) parsley
½ cup	Mint
2 Tbsp	Lemon juice
4 Tbsp	Extra virgin olive oil

Carrot puree

200 g	Carrots, washed, peeled and diced (Main)
1 pinch	Coriander seeds
1 Tbsp	Olive oil
4 Tbsp	Natural yoghurt

Directions

1. To make the marinade, combine hot pepper paste, soy, ginger, garlic and water in a medium bowl and whisk. Coat the lamb and leave to marinade for at least 4 hours.
2. Place all the tabbouleh ingredients in a medium sized bowl and toss together. Don't chop the herbs, spend your time picking them nicely, there is an absolute beauty in the natural layer of the leaf, let's showcase this.
3. To make the puree, into a small pot place the carrot, coriander seeds, olive oil and enough water to cover. Cook at a medium heat until tender and soft.
4. Place the soft carrots in a food processor and blitz until smooth, adding a little water to get a smooth consistency. Cover to keep warm and set aside.
5. Heat the barbecue. If using an oven, heat to 180C.
6. To cook in the barbecue, seal the lamb racks then cook with the cover down for about 4 minutes on each side, being mindful not to burn the bones and catch the marinade. If cooking in an oven, seal the lamb in a pan and roast for 8 minutes until pink.
7. Remove from the oven or barbecue and allow to rest for 8 minutes.8 To serve, spoon the warm carrot puree on a plate, top with the smoked almond tabbouleh, then slice and plate the cooked lamb and finish with a good dollop of natural yoghurt.

This recipe was created by Nic Watt as part of a three-course spring meal, including a starter of

crispy courgette flowers

and dessert of

buttermilk fromage blanc.