Harissa-Marinated Lamb Recipe
by Marcus Wareing
4
25 minutes
Ingredients

Harissa-marinated lamb

  • 4 lamb rumps, around 200g each
  • 2 tsp harissa
  • 4 tbsp of olive oil
  • 2 tbsp of vegetable oil
  • 30g of pistachio nuts, toasted and roughly chopped

Lamb rump brine

  • 140g of table salt
  • 1/2 tsp white peppercorns
  • 1/2 tsp coriander seeds
  • 1/2 tsp fennel seeds
  • 6 sprigs of fresh thyme
  • 2 bay leaves

Fresh mint chutney

  • 6 tbsp of malt vinegar
  • 2 tsp caster sugar
  • 4 shallots, finely sliced
  • 4 tbsp of olive oil
  • 1 bunch of mint, leaves separated and finely chopped

Yoghurt dressing

  • 150g of Greek yoghurt
  • 1/4 cucumber, finely grated
  • 1 tsp cumin seeds, toasted and crushed
  • 1 tsp harissa
  • sea salt
Method
1
For the brine, place all the ingredients in a saucepan with 500ml warm water and bring to the boil. Simmer for 2 minutes then remove from the heat and add 500ml cold water. Allow to cool completely
  • 140g of table salt
  • 1/2 tsp white peppercorns
  • 1/2 tsp coriander seeds
  • 1/2 tsp fennel seeds
  • 6 sprigs of fresh thyme
  • 2 bay leaves
2
Add the lamb rumps to the brine and place in the fridge for 2 hours
  • 4 lamb rumps, around 200g each
3
Mix the harissa paste with the olive oil. Rinse the brined lamb rumps under cold running water and pat them dry with kitchen paper. Rub the harissa mixture over the lamb rumps, place them in a container and chill for at least 6 hours (or up to 12 hours)
  • 2 tsp harissa
  • 4 tbsp of olive oil
4
Preheat the oven to 200°C/gas mark 6
5
To make the fresh mint chutney, heat the malt vinegar in a small saucepan. Add the sugar and dissolve over medium heat. Remove the pan from the heat and add the shallots. When cool, add the oil and set aside until ready to use
  • 6 tbsp of malt vinegar
  • 2 tsp caster sugar
  • 4 shallots, finely sliced
  • 4 tbsp of olive oil
6
To make the yoghurt dressing, mix all ingredients together in a bowl and season to taste
  • 150g of Greek yoghurt
  • 1/4 cucumber, finely grated
  • 1 tsp cumin seeds, toasted and crushed
  • sea salt
  • 1 tsp harissa
7
Heat the vegetable oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. When hot, place the lamb rumps, fat-side down, in the pan. Cook for 5–8 minutes, until the fat begins to render and turn a lovely golden brown
  • 2 tbsp of vegetable oil
8
Turn the rumps over and seal on all the other sides for a further 5 minutes, then place them on a foil-lined dish in the oven. Bake for 5–10 minutes, depending on how pink you like your lamb. Remove from the oven, cover with foil and leave somewhere warm to rest for 5 minutes
9
Finish the mint chutney by adding the chopped fresh mint. Serve the lamb rumps with the mint chutney and yoghurt dressing, sprinkled with the pistachio nuts. Serve with a large green salad or roasted vegetables
  • 30g of pistachio nuts, toasted and roughly chopped
  • 1 bunch of mint, leaves separated and finely chopped