It is a bit of a treat to be able to cook for just Steve and I in the weekends, and it is starting to happen a bit more frequently now the kids get older. It means not having to cater to fussy tastes and find a meal that suits everyone.
Tonight was one of those nights.
Steve fancied lamb and I happened to have bought some Silver Fern Farms Lamb Medallions that were on special at the supermarket .
They aren’t a budget product by any means but they are beautifully trimmed and vaccuum packed so they last quite a while in the refrigerator ( though they didn’t have to wait too long in my house) .
I often do a nice salad with lamb but Steve asked for vegetables and so I decided to make a nice light lemony hollondaise sauce to go with them .
For potatoes, I peeled and cubed a couple of small potatoes and just seasoned them and browned them in a frying pan in a tablespoon of olive oil , and then put the whole pan in a hottish oven ( 210C) to cook while i prepared every thing else.
The lamb I rubbed with a spice mix from Annabel Langbeins latest book , A Free Range Summer Annual .
She has 3 different rub recipes in the book and I’ve made up all of them and have been using them quite a bit. ( Love the Asian one on pork belly) – I used the Moroccan rub for the lamb this time.
Next I put the water on for the veges. To make it easier I just used one pot – and I put the carrots in first, followed by some broccoli and let it cook for a few minutes.
While the veges were cooking I made the hollandaise sauce. It was really a “cheats” hollandaise and its very simple.
I use my stick blender to make hollandaise.
In a small container whisk up 2 egg yolks,with a tablespoon of lemon juice, a teaspoon of Dijon mustard , salt and pepper and some chopped herbs ( I used Italian parsley and thyme)
Then, while whisking with the stick blender, in a slow stream add about 1/3 cup of melted butter. - ideally you would use clarified butter but my world isn’t ideal so I just use regular salted butter that I melted in the microwave.
The sauce thickens almost immediately to a yummy creamy deliciousness.
You may want to adjust your seasoning to taste at this point ( I added a bit more lemon juice cause i like the lemony taste with my vegetables .
Next job – heat up the pan for your lamb.
I rubbed the lamb with a bit of olive oil ( I don’t add it to the pan – just to the meat) – and heated the pan to a medium high ( too high and your spices and oil will just burn and spoil the taste)
Sear the lamb on one side for a few minutes, then turn and repeat for the other side.
Then pop the lamb into the hot oven with the potatoes to finish cooking.
I then added the asparagus to the vegetables – it only takes a few minutes ( Nothing worse than limp grey looking asparagus)
Take the meat out when its done to your liking ( I like medium rare – still pink in the centre) and let it rest while you plate up the potatoes and vegetables.
Spoon the hollandaise over the veges
You could just use it over the asparagus or the broccoli but I like it on all the veges I used!
Finally dish up the lamb – and enjoy – preferably with a nice glass of pinot noir!!
I chose Hāhā 2012 Marlborough Pinot Noir which both Steve and I thought was a perfect match.
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