Rosemary Lamb Cutlets

Method22 steps

1. 1

   Step 1: Wash and peel the eight baby carrots, then trim and discard the ends.

   Uses 8 baby carrots · Clean water, for washing vegetables and herbs

2. 2

   Step 2: Wash the eight asparagus spears. Trim about 1 inch from the fibrous ends, peel any tough lower skin and cut the edible spears in half.

   Uses 8 large asparagus spears · Clean water, for washing vegetables and herbs

3. 3

   Step 3: Wash the sixteen broccolini stems (16) and drain them.

   Uses 16 broccolini stems · Clean water, for washing vegetables and herbs

4. 4

   Step 4: Set out the twelve garlic cloves. Reserve two for rubbing the lamb and leave the other ten skin-on for roasting as individual cloves.

   Uses 12 garlic cloves: reserve 2 for rubbing lamb and 10 for roasting

5. 5

   Step 5: Cut the ends of the two reserved rubbing cloves from step 4 diagonally to expose fresh cut surfaces. Keep these two separate from the ten skin-on roasting cloves.

   Uses Allocated garlic-clove supplies

6. 6

   Step 6: Wash, peel and thinly slice the onion. Wash the two tomato vines and keep them ready for the later pan sear.

   Uses 1 large yellow onion · 2 vines cherry tomatoes · Clean water, for washing vegetables and herbs

7. 7

   Step 7: Season all sixteen lamb cutlets (16) with the lamb’s pinch of salt (1 pinch) and black pepper to taste; keep chilled until the pan is ready. Wash and dry the rosemary (4–6) sprigs and have them ready for brushing during frying.

   Uses 16 lamb cutlets · 1 pinch salt, for lamb · Black pepper, to taste for lamb · 4–6 fresh rosemary sprigs, for brushing the lamb · Clean water, for washing vegetables and herbs

8. 8

   Step 8: If making the optional homemade mint sauce, wash the mint leaves (100 g), pat dry, remove any remaining stems and chop very finely. Otherwise skip this sauce preparation and steps 20–21.

   Uses 100 g mint leaves, for optional homemade sauce · Clean water, for washing vegetables and herbs

9. 9

   Step 9: Bring the separate vegetable-cooking water to a boil. Parboil the trimmed carrots from step 1 until soft, then lift and drain. Briefly blanch the prepared asparagus from step 2 and broccolini from step 3 until just cooked, then drain; keep the carrot and green portions separate.

   Uses Carrots only, excluding ends, peel and wash water · Edible pieces only, excluding discarded ends and wash water · Broccolini only, excluding washing water · Water, sufficient for parboiling carrots and blanching greens; drain afterward

10. 10

    Step 10: Preheat the oven to 160°C. Put the drained carrots from step 9, sliced onion from step 6 and the ten reserved skin-on roasting cloves from step 5 on a baking tray. Drizzle with 2 tbsp of the divided olive oil (2 tbsp). Roast for about 10–15 minutes, checking from 10 minutes until the vegetables and garlic are cooked and lightly caramelised.

    Add blanched greens · 10 minUses Carrots only, excluding the separate greens and vegetable-cooking water · Onion only, excluding tomato vines and discarded peel/wash water · All ten roasting cloves, excluding the two rubbing cloves · 2 tbsp olive oil, for vegetable tray

11. 11

    Step 11: Add the drained asparagus and broccolini from step 9 to the roasted carrot, onion and garlic tray from step 10. Bake for another 2 minutes, then remove the tray.

    Remove vegetable tray · 2 minUses Roasted carrot, onion and garlic tray · Greens only, excluding carrots and used vegetable water

12. 12

    Step 12: Once all cutlets and aromatics are prepared, heat the remaining 2 tbsp olive oil in a non-stick pan over high heat.

    Uses Remaining 2 tbsp olive oil, for lamb pan

13. 13

    Step 13: Take a first uncrowded batch of up to eight seasoned cutlets from step 7 and place in the hot oil from step 12. Fry the first side for about 3 minutes. During frying, rub the exposed surface with one of the cut garlic cloves from step 5 and brush with two rosemary sprigs from step 7, using clean utensils.

    Turn first lamb batch · 3 minUses Hot measured lamb-pan oil · First uncrowded batch, up to eight cutlets; keep the remainder chilled · One cut clove from the two-clove rubbing reserve · Two sprigs for brushing this first batch

14. 14

    Step 14: Turn the first batch in the oil from step 13 and fry the second side for about 3 minutes, rubbing and brushing the other side with that batch’s cut garlic and rosemary. Check each cutlet reaches at least 63°C; continue frying if needed.

    Check and lift first cooked batch · 3 minUses First lamb batch, oil and brushing aromatics

15. 15

    Step 15: Lift the fully cooked first batch from step 14 onto a clean plate and rest off the heat for at least 3 minutes. Keep the pan oil and juices for the next batch, separate from the resting cutlets.

    First lamb batch rested · 3 minUses Cooked first lamb batch and retained pan contents

16. 16

    Step 16: Using the retained pan oil and juices from step 15, fry another uncrowded batch of the remaining chilled seasoned cutlets from step 7 for about 3 minutes on the first side. Rub and brush with the remaining cut rubbing garlic and prepared rosemary as needed. Use these first-side, second-side and rest steps again if further batches are needed.

    Turn remaining lamb batch · 3 minUses Pan contents only, excluding the first resting cutlets · Remaining cutlets only, excluding already cooked cutlets and rosemary · Remaining one clove from the two-clove rubbing reserve · Remaining sprigs as needed for later batches, excluding lamb cutlets

17. 17

    Step 17: Turn the remaining batch in the oil from step 16. Fry its second side for about 3 minutes while rubbing and brushing with that batch’s garlic and rosemary; cook each cutlet to at least 63°C, continuing if needed.

    Check remaining cooked cutlets · 3 minUses Remaining lamb batch, oil and brushing aromatics

18. 18

    Step 18: Lift the fully cooked remaining cutlets from step 17 onto a clean plate and rest off the heat for at least 3 minutes. Repeat the same first-side, second-side and rest sequence for any cutlets still uncooked, keeping them chilled until their batch; retain the pan oil and juices for the tomatoes.

    Remaining lamb rested · 3 minUses Cooked remaining lamb batch and retained pan contents

19. 19

    Step 19: After all lamb batches are cooked and lifted, sear the prepared tomato vines from step 6 in the retained pan oil and juices from step 18 until slightly limp. Transfer the tomatoes to the vegetable tray from step 11 and spoon the wanted cooked lamb-pan juices over the vegetables.

    Uses Tomatoes only, excluding sliced onion and washing water · Pan contents only, excluding rested cooked cutlets · Finished baked vegetable tray

20. 20

    Step 20: If making homemade mint sauce, add its ½ tbsp caster sugar and 1½ tbsp boiling water to the chopped mint from step 8. Stir until the sugar dissolves.

    Uses Edible mint only, excluding stems and washing water · ½ tbsp caster sugar, for optional homemade sauce · 1½ tbsp boiling water, for optional homemade sauce

21. 21

    Step 21: For the optional homemade sauce, stir the 1½ tbsp honey, 4 tbsp white-wine vinegar and separate sauce pinch of salt (1 pinch) into the mint mixture from step 20, then transfer to a sauce dish.

    Uses Optional mint, sugar and water mixture · 1½ tbsp honey, for optional homemade sauce · 4 tbsp white-wine vinegar, for optional homemade sauce · 1 pinch salt, for optional homemade mint sauce

22. 22

    Step 22: Plate the lamb only after each batch has completed its off-heat rest, using the rested cutlets from steps 15 and 18 and any further repeated batches. Serve with the tomato and baked-vegetable tray from step 19 and some of the homemade mint sauce from step 21 if chosen. Keep unused sauce and cooked leftovers refrigerated promptly.

    Uses Cooked rested meat only, excluding retained pan oil and brushing aromatics · Cooked rested meat only, excluding pan oil and brushing aromatics · Tomatoes and finished baked vegetables · Chosen serving draw only; keep unused sauce separate