Author of A Healthier Family for Life, Donna Crous, says “I can’t say that I’m a massive anchovy fan, but I do love the salty flavour in this sauce when it’s teamed up with a delicious roast lamb fillet. Years ago I watched with both fascination and hesitation as my friend Meg made up a marinade for a roast leg of lamb using anchovies; needless to say it was a huge success and I loved the concept. I’ve paired up anchovies with lamb in so many different ways since. Not only do they add a gorgeous umami flavour but they also add a healthy powerful punch of vitamins and nutrients.”
dairy-free recipe • gluten-free recipe • keto recipe • Paleo recipe
Serves 4
Start preparations the day before.
What you’ll need:
- 100g fresh mint leaves
- 25g flat-leaf parsley
- 100g jar of anchovies in olive oil
- 2 tbsp capers
- 120ml olive oil, plus extra for frying
- 1 garlic clove, crushed
- 4 lamb neck fillets
To make the lamb neck fillets
1 Put the mint in a blender and add the parsley, anchovies, capers, olive oil and crushed garlic. Blend together.
2 Put two-thirds of the mixture in a zip storage bag or dish and add the lamb fillets. Leave the lamb to marinate in the fridge for as long as possible, ideally overnight. Save the remaining mixture in the fridge to serve later as a side sauce.
3 Heat the oven grill (to medium if possible). Heat an ovenproof frying pan over high heat with a drizzle of oil. Remove the lamb from the marinade.
4 Sear the lamb fillets on all sides, one at a time. Put all the fillets back into the pan, or in a roasting tin, and grill for 5 minutes on each side.
5 Remove the lamb from the grill, leave to rest for 5 minutes, then slice and serve with the remaining mint sauce on the side.
Top tip: This can be served either warm or cooled.
A Healthier Family for Life by Donna Crous is published by Little Brown and is available at all good bookstores, as well as online at Exclusive Books and Takealot.
