Dinner

Seared lamb salad and ras el hanout spices

Pomegranate gives this dressing a flavour is more sour than sweet, and a little tart. It is used like tamarind or balsamic vinegar to give a complex sweet-sour flavour to the dish.
4
40M

Ingredients

Pomegranate dressing

Method

1.Trim beetroot without nicking the flesh and wash well. Put beetroot in a pan with cold water to cover and bring to the boil. Cook for about 30 minutes, or until tender. Drain and refresh with cold water. When cool enough to handle, peel off skins, discarding any root or stalks, and slice.
2.Preheat oven to 180°C fan forced. Put walnut pieces in a shallow ovenproof dish and toast in oven for 5–7 minutes, until golden. Alternatively, toast them gently in a non-stick frying pan.
3.Trim lamb shortloins if necessary, removing any silvery skin. Pat dry with paper towels. Rub with ras el hanout and plenty of black pepper. Cook lamb on a preheated oiled barbecue hotplate over medium heat for 2–3 minutes on each side.
4.Transfer to a board and sprinkle generously with salt. Let lamb rest for 10 minutes, then slice thinly on an angle. Alternatively, cook lamb in 2 tablespoons hot oil in a ridged grillpan over medium-high heat.
5.Whisk all the dressing ingredients together in a small bowl. Divide salad leaves among serving bowls and add mint and sliced beetroot. Rewhisk dressing and spoon half of it over the salads.
6.Arrange the sliced lamb, pomegranate seeds, if using, and walnuts on top of each salad, then spoon over the remaining dressing. Serve immediately.

Pomegranate seeds can now be bought ready prepared (saves lots of messy work). Look for them in the chiller section of specialty food stores or large supermarkets. Pomegranate molasses is the syrup made by cooking down the seeds until a syrup forms, then reducing further until the mixture is sticky. Store refrigerated after opening.

Note

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