This is another recipe from my drafts which for some reason hasn’t made it out of the filing cabinet albeit I use it quite a lot.  I know it’s not quite BBQ weather just yet but the sun is shining so maybe now during lockdown would be a good time to clean the BBQ off and at least cook outside even if we don’t eat out there just yet.  Having said that, I sat out in the garden with my early morning coffee and a blanket over my knees in my PJs and dressing gown this morning and it was bliss.

Ingredients

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

3 tablespoons plain yoghurt

Juice and grated zest of 1 lemon

1 tablespoon ground corriander

1 teaspoon ground cumin

3 fat cloves of garlic, crushed and chopped

1 level teaspoon cayenne pepper

4 x 175g lamb loin fillets

2 round tablespoons sesame seeds

3 teaspoons sea salt

1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper

For the sauce:

140g plain yoghurt

2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh mint

Method

• Mix the oil, yoghurt, lemon juice, ground spices, garlic and cayenne in a dish and then rub the mixture all over the lamb fillets.  Cover and refrigerate over night or for at least 4 hours.  Re-rub the lamb with the marinade every now and then.
• Remove the lamb from the fridge an hour or so before you are going to cook it, in order to bring it up to room temperature.
• Mix the sesame seeds, black pepper and salt together and pat that all over the fillets
• Make the sauce – combine the yoghurt and mint in a small bowl and chill in the fridge until ready to serve.
• Cook the lamb fillets on a hot barbecue or griddle pan for a few minutes on each side until completely browned and starting to caramelise.
• Remove from the heat and leave under foil and a clean tea towel to rest for 8-10 minutes then cut into thin slices (best to use a very sharp knife for this).
• Serve laying the slices of lamb overlapping each other on a platter, season with black pepper and drizzle some of the yoghurt and mint sauce, with the remaining sauce to taste.