Lamb is at its best at this time of year. This recipe goes really well with smoky eastern European potatoes, and, as suggested by Diana Henry, with Sicilian zhoggiu sauce. Certainly rings the changes!

Recipe for lamb fillets with a watercress and caper salad

Serves 2

Ingredients

• 2 lamb loin fillets
• 1 cucumber
• 60g/2 oz watercress
• 2 tbsps capers
• 4 tbsps olive oil, plus more for roasting
• 1 tbsp raspberry vinegar (ideally raspberry balsamic vinegar if you can find it)
• Salt and black pepper
• 1 tbsp tomato paste
• 80 ml/⅓ cup red vermouth
• 2 tsps redcurrant jelly
• zhoggiu sauce

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 210ºC.
2. Heat a little olive oil in a frying pan, while you rub the lamb with salt and pepper.
3. Brown the fillets on all sides in the pan (Why? Follow this link for illumination)
4. Transfer to an oiled roasting tin. Roast for 8-10 minutes.
5. Take out of the oven, put on a wooden board for carving, cover with foil, and leave to rest for ten minutes while you make the salad and the gravy.
6. Making the salad involves: slicing the cucumber, tearing the watercress (and getting rid of any big stems) and putting both into a salad bowl. Then throwing in the capers.
7. Make the dressing by mixing the oil and vinegar and salt and pepper. Dress the salad.
8. To make the gravy, deglaze the roasting tin with the tomato paste, redcurrant jelly, and red vermouth.
9. Serve the lamb fillets, sliced diagonally, with the gravy, salad; and the zhoggiu sauce and some potatoes.