Cuisine

GRILLED LAMB SHOULDER OVER GARLICKY TOMATOES,

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SERVES 6–8

When I envisage myself at age 72, living in the Italian countrysid­e and caring for a resplenden­t yet manageably sized garden, along with several cats, this is what I plan on eating every day for lunch, a lunch that is so late and long that it may as well be dinner, washed down with a glass of white wine so crisp I could wear it as a shirt.

That said, I often cook and eat my weight in some version of this dish, especially in the late summer, when it’s nice enough to grill outside without sweating.

This dish is impossibly easy to throw together, and lamb shoulder is a delightful­ly forgiving cut on the grill – zero experience required; I have also included instructio­ns for cooking this dish on the stovetop.

1.25kg boneless lamb shoulder

12 anchovy fillets, finely chopped

¼ cup olive oil, plus extra for cooking coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper 1kg very ripe tomatoes, sliced 2cm thick

4 green garlic stalks (garlic shoots), thinly sliced,

or 2 garlic cloves, finely grated

2 tablespoon­s lemon juice or white/red wine vinegar flaky sea salt lemony aioli, full-fat Greek-style yoghurt or labne,

to serve (optional) salsa verde, to serve (optional) flatbreads, to serve (optional)

Using a knife, separate the lamb shoulder where it naturally wants to separate, into three or four smaller pieces (almost like a few lamb steaks), to ensure even cooking on the grill.

Mix the anchovies and olive oil together. Season the lamb with salt and pepper and smear the anchovy mixture over. Leave for at least 30 minutes, uncovered and refrigerat­ed.

Heat a barbecue grill or chargrill pan to medium-high. (Alternativ­ely, heat 2 tablespoon­s olive oil in a large cast-iron skillet over medium–high heat.)

Grill the meat on the hottest part of the grill until deeply and evenly charred, about 5-8 minutes, depending on the thickness of each piece, flipping frequently to avoid burning. (Or sear in the skillet until golden brown on all sides, 3-5 minutes per side.) Transfer the lamb to a cutting board to rest for 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, place the tomatoes on a large serving platter and season with salt and pepper. Scatter with the garlic, sprinkle with the lemon juice and set aside.

Thinly slice the meat and place immediatel­y atop the tomatoes, letting the juices mingle. Sprinkle with flaky salt. If desired, serve with aioli, salsa verde and/or flatbreads.

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