Meat mains
Moroccan spiced lamb with beetroot
A succulent, warmly spiced trio of griddled lamb chops, punchy beetroot and yoghurt purée and fragrant couscous. Roasting the beetroots takes a while, but this recipe is easy to follow and makes a delectable dinner.
Ingredients
for the beetroot purée
- 600g small beetroot, trimmed of leaves and root, left whole in their skins
- 120g plain yoghurt
for the lamb
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- zest and juice of 1 lemon
- 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 3 tsp ground coriander
- 3 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp smoked sweet paprika
- 3 tsp fennel seeds
- 4 lamb steaks
for the couscous
- 200g couscous
- 25g butter
- zest and juice of 1 lemon, more to taste
- large handful fresh herbs, chopped – parsley, coriander and mint
- salt and pepper
Method
For the beetroot
-
Step 1
Preheat oven to 190°C/Gas 5. Wrap the beetroot in foil and place in a baking dish. Bake until tender, about 45 minutes - test with a knife. Remove from the oven and leave until cool enough to handle, then rub off the skins.
-
Step 2
Roughly chop, then blitz in a food processor with the yoghurt, seasoning to taste.
For the lamb
-
Step 1
Mix the oil, lemon zest and juice, garlic and spices in a bowl. Add the lamb and toss together. If you have time, marinate in the fridge for an hour or two.
Put the couscous
-
Step 1
in a large bowl and add just enough boiling water to cover. Pop in the butter, stir and leave to absorb for about 10 minutes. Fluff it up with a fork. Add the lemon zest, juice, herbs and stir.
-
Step 2
Heat a griddle pan until very hot. Cook the lamb on both sides for 3-4 minutes, depending on thickness. Rest the meat for 5 minutes, then serve with the couscous and a dollop of beetroot purée (warm it in a pan if you like).