I love to serve lamb at Easter. For me, Easter Sunday lunch would not be right without it. I know that gammon is a popular choice, but if I’m cooking I do lamb. However, it doesn’t have to be served with all the traditional trimmings. In fact I often prefer to ring the changes. This delicious hot lamb salad with an Asian style dressing is conventional enough to keep traditionalists happy but different enough to keep things interesting.
A couple of years ago we went away for a few days to a cottage in the lovely market town of Settle, Yorkshire. They had a book shelf full of cookbooks, most of which I did not own.
Leafing through Nigella Express, one of the recipes that jumped out at me was the Anglo-Asian Lamb Salad. The combination of flavours looked fantastic and I loved the idea of serving lamb in a lighter, more modern way.
When we got home a few days later, I promptly bought the book as there were so many recipes in there that I wanted to try. I’ve made lots of them since, many of them delicious, but the lamb remains a favourite.
I’ve changed the recipe slightly as I wanted to make it more substantial. It works brilliantly and makes a dish that is a lot easier to prepare that a regular roast. You still have to roast the lamb but there are no sides of vegetables, potatoes, gravy etc. to prepare or wash up after. The other benefit of this dish is that the lamb can be roast a day ahead if you wish, giving you loads of time to join in the Easter egg hunt. Once roasted, the meat needs to be carved/cut into 4-5cm chunks which is best done while it is warm but not hot. You can then go ahead and cool and refrigerate it, or carry on with the recipe.
To serve, all you need to do is pan fry the chunks of lamb over a really high heat until the meat is golden and crispy on the outside and hot in the centre. It is then served on a bed of salad leaves adorned with the toppings, dressing drizzled over the top. Served with some boiled new potatoes, you have a meal that is perfect for ringing the changes this Easter Sunday.
Looking for other Easter lamb recipe ideas? Check out:
- Spiced Easter Lamb
- Spiced Lamb Steaks with a Rocket and Feta Dressing
- Lamb Koftas with Herb Yoghurt and Griddled Flatbread
Hot Lamb Salad with an Asian Style Dressing
Ingredients
For the lamb
- 1 x 2kg leg of lamb
- A few tablespoons of olive oil
- Salt and pepper
For the salad
- 200 g salad leaves*
For the toppings
- 10-12 radishes (large ones halved)
- 2 spring onions (finely sliced)
- A few slivers of onion ((optional))
For the dressing
- ½ a small onion
- 4 tablespoons white wine vinegar
- 2 tablespoons Thai fish sauce
- 1½ tablespoons soy sauce
- 2 teaspoons sugar
- ½ clove garlic (crushed)
Instructions
For the lamb
- Pre-heat the oven to 200°C
- Place the lamb in a baking dish. Drizzle with a tablespoon of olive oil, sprinkle over the salt and pepper and place, uncovered, in the pre-heated oven. Roast for 1 hour 30 minutes.
- When cooked, remove the lamb from the oven and leave to rest for at least ½ an hour and up to 1 hour.
- Standing the leg upright (I hold the bone with a piece of kitchen towel to stop it slipping), carve the meat off the bone and cut into 4-5cm chunks. Cool and refrigerate or carry on with the recipe.
For the toppings
- Prepare the toppings as stated.
For the dressing
- Very finely dice the onion and place in bowl of ice cold water. Leave to soak for 15 minutes (this removes some of the onions acidity), drain well.
- Mix all the dressing ingredients, including the onion, together. Leave to infuse.
To assemble
- Place the salad leaves onto your platter piling them up.
- Heat a deep, preferably non-stick, frying pan to its highest setting and add a drizzle of olive oil.
- When hot add the lamb. Leave for a minute or two until the lamb touching the pan is golden and crispy. Toss then leave again. Continue to cook until each piece of meat has a golden crust and is thoroughly heated through. I tend to do this in two pans as I find the meat crisps up better.
- Arrange the lamb on the salad leaves. Sprinkle the toppings over the lamb, drizzle over the dressing and serve.
Notes
Nutrition
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