Lamb With Braised Lentils

Total Time: 50 mins Preparation Time: 15 mins Cook Time: 35 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 4
• 4 lean lamb steaks
• 1 lemon, juice and rind of, grated
• 1/2 tablespoon rosemary, chopped
• 1/2 tablespoon sage, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 2 slices smoked back bacon, lean bacon is preferable, chopped
• 2 onions, sliced
• 1 carrot, finely chopped
• 250 g green lentils or 250 g puy lentils
• 450 ml vegetable stock

Recipe

• 1 mix together the lemon rind, rosemary, sage and garlic and rub over the lamb steaks, then squeeze the lemon juice over the lamb steaks.
• 2 heat a large non-stick pan until hot and, over a medium-high heat, add the lamb steaks (and some of the lemon juice that has dripped off them when you transferred them to the pan) and fry for 1 minute on each side.
• 3 remove the lamb from the pan, and set aside.
• 4 add the bacon, onions, carrot and celery to the pan and fry for 2-3 minutes or until they are beginning to soften.
• 5 add the lentils and the stock – and any of the herbs and garlic that didn’t make it into the pan earlier when you were browning the lamb steaks – and, over a high heat, return the lamb to the pan and bring the mixture to the boil.
• 6 reduce to a low-medium heat and simmer gently for 30-40 minutes or until the lentils are tender and most of the stock has been absorbed.
• 7 serve the lamb with potatoes mashed with buttermilk or low-fat milk. if the potatoes have been made ahead of time – and if you like spinach – mix through the mashed potatoes a packet of frozen spinach, which has not only been thawed, and thoroughly-drained but has also had all excess moisture squeezed from it.
• 8 chef's note: since i posted this recipe and last made this dish, i have found and posted the most fabulous recipe for vegetable stock, which is now my standard vegetable stock recipe: vegetable stock vegetable stock.