Mediterranean roasted lamb

Just a few fresh ingredients, simply cooked, make a warmly satisfying meal. The flavours of eggplants and shallots, intensify with roasting, making perfect partners for tender, succulent lamb. Serve with warm, crusty bread

Ingredients

¼ cup	Olive oil
1 tsp	Balsamic vinegar, or use red wine vinegar
4	Lamb leg steaks, trimmed of fat (Main)
2 tsp	Black peppercorns
1 tsp	Cumin seeds
250 g	Shallots, unpeeled
2	Eggplants, large
2	Garlic cloves, crushed
400 g	Cherry tomatoes, pricked
1 Tbsp	Fresh coriander, chopped

Directions

1. Mix one tablespoon of the oil with the vinegar and lightly brush over the steaks. Crush the peppercorns and add the cumin seeds. Pat the mixture gently into the steaks and place them in a non-metallic dish. Set aside, or cover and refrigerate, for several hours.
2. Preheat the oven to 200C. Put the shallots in a large, heatproof bowl and cover with boiling water. Leave for two to three minutes, then drain. Peel off the skins, then return them to the bowl. Cut the eggplants into chunks and add to the shallots. Drizzle with the remaining oil, add the garlic, then toss to lightly coat the vegetables with oil.
3. Heat a large, heavy-based roasting pan over a medium-high heat. Sear the steaks for about one minute on each side, then set aside in the original marinade dish. Tip the vegetables into the hot pan and spread them out. Place in the oven and roast for 15-20 minutes until softened.
4. Lay the lamb steaks over the vegetables and drizzle any juices in the dish over the lamb. Roast for a further 10 minutes.
5. Scatter tomatoes into the pan and return to the oven for another 8-10 minutes, until the lamb is cooked to your liking and the vegetables are tender. Season to taste and serve sprinkled with coriander.