LAMB WITH GARLIC MASH

I am very fond of lamb and have several favourite recipes which use it. This one is taken from New Entertaining by Donna Hay (Merehurst, £14.99). The amounts in her recipe are for 4 people; for 6, use

12 cutlets and adjust other quantities accordingly. I usually serve it with peas a la frangaise (see below).

8 double lamb cutlets, trimmed of fat 1 teaspoon cracked black peppercorns

3 tablespoons chopped mint 120ml red wine

1 tablespoon wholegrain mustard 4 teaspoon ground cumin

Forthe garlic mash

6 cloves garlic, unpeeled

6 mashing potatoes, peeled and chopped

50g butter

290ml hot milk

Pinch sea salt

Place the lamb cutlets in a shallow dish. Combine pepper, mint, wine, mustard and cumin and pour over lamb. Allow cutlets to marinate for at least 30 minutes, preferably 2 hours.

To make the garlic mash, place the unpeeled garlic in a dry frying pan over a medium heat. Cook, turning occasionally, for 10 minutes or until golden brown; then cool. Squeeze the garlic from the skins and mash with a fork. Place the. potatoes in a saucepan of boiling water and simmer until tender – about 6 minutes. Meanwhile, pour the marinade into a small saucepan and reduce it over a low heat until it is syrupy. Heat a frying pan over a high heat; add the lamb and cook for 2-3 minutes on each side or until cooked to your liking.

To finish the mash, drain the potatoes, return them to the warm pan with the butter, and mash with a whisk while slowly adding the milk until thick and creamy. Stir in the salt and the mashed garlic.

Serves 4