Loin of lamb with baba ganoush

Baba ganoush is a gutsy aubergine-based dip that twins well with tender sweet lamb

  • Ready in 1 hour 10 - 1 hour 20 minutes
  • Serves 2
  • More effort

Nutrition per serving

  • kcal 741
  • fat 58g
  • saturates 25g
  • carbs 11g
  • sugars 0g
  • fibre 9g
  • protein 46g
  • salt 0.35g

Ingredients

  • 400g boned and rolled lamb loin, with fat on and tied (see 'Try')
  • 1 tbsp each finely chopped fresh mint, rosemary and parsley
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 2 aubergines
  • 1 small lemon, juice only
  • 1 garlic clove, roughly chopped
  • a handful of fresh flatleaf parsley, chopped
  • a pinch of chilli powder, mild or hot – it's up to you
  • about 2 tbsp tahini paste
  • 100g runner beans, trimmed and sliced diagonally
  • 25g unsalted butter
  • a handful of flaked almonds
  • 1 small garlic clove, roughly chopped

Tip

Lamb loin
Lamb loin is a very succulent and tender cut of meat that cooks really quickly. You can buy it ready rolled and tied at the butcher's counter in most supermarkets (it may also be called lamb noisette).

Method

  1. Preheat the oven to 220C/gas 7/fan 200C, then roast the aubergines on a baking sheet for 30 minutes until the skins are well blistered, turning them halfway. Leave the oven on (for the lamb) and tip the aubergines into a colander over a bowl. Leave until cool and to let the juices drain off, then peel and put the flesh back in the colander to drain again for a few minutes.

  2. Put the aubergine flesh and the rest of the baba ganoush ingredients into a food processor. Whizz until smooth, then taste, add salt and pepper, plus more tahini paste if you like it. Set aside.

  3. Cut the lamb in half widthways, sprinkle with salt and pepper and roll it in the chopped herbs. Heat the olive oil in an ovenproof pan until very hot, put the lamb in and brown well on all sides, even the ends. This should take about 7 minutes in total.

  4. Transfer the pan to the oven and roast for 8 minutes to cook the lamb to just medium - leave it for longer if you want it a little more cooked. While the lamb is cooking, blanch the runner beans in boiling salted water for 3-4 minutes and drain them well.

  5. Once cooked, remove the lamb from the oven and leave to rest. Melt the butter in a saucepan, add the almonds and cook on a medium heat for 2 minutes until toasted. Tip in the garlic and beans and cook on a low heat for 3 minutes. To serve, spoon a little baba on each plate, slice the lamb into medallions and nestle next to the beans.

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