Harissa Lamb With Smoked Aubergine Black Olive Dressing Recipes

HARISSA LAMB WITH SMOKED AUBERGINE & BLACK OLIVE DRESSING

Steps:

• To make the harissa, put the chillies, garlic, oil and 1 tsp salt in a spice blender and blitz. Scrape the paste into a mixing bowl, then add the lamb and rub all over. Cover and put in the fridge for at least 3 hrs.
• Heat oven to 220C/200C fan/gas 7. To make the black olive dressing, crush the olives, anchovies and basil to a coarse paste using a pestle and mortar, then mix in the oil.
• Put the aubergines on a baking tray and roast for 35-40 mins until collapsed and burnt on the outside. Carefully scoop out the soft flesh and discard the skin, then chop to the consistency of a rough purée. Heat the oil in a saucepan over a medium-high heat and add the spices and aubergine. Fry for 1 min or so until the spices start to colour the aubergine. Add the cream, turn the heat to low and leave to gently warm while you cook the lamb. Just before serving, season with salt and the lemon juice.
• Reduce oven to 200C/180C fan/ gas 6. Remove the lamb from the harissa, then season. Heat the oil in a frying pan over a medium heat and slowly colour the lamb all over for about 10 mins. Put the lamb on a baking tray and roast for a further 3-5 mins to your liking. Leave to rest for 5 mins, then carve. Divide the smoky aubergine between two plates, top with the lamb and spoon over the olive dressing.

BLACK OLIVES WITH HARISSA

Steps:

• In a colander rinse olives under cold water 1 minute and in a large bowl cover with cold water. Soak olives 4 hours to remove excess salt and drain well. To make the harissa: In a mortar with a pestle, an electric spice grinder, or a cleaned coffee grinder, grind seeds fine. If using mortar and pestle, add chiles, garlic, and salt and pound, to taste. If using a spice or coffee grinder, transfer seeds to a small food processor and add chiles, garlic, and salt. Grind mixture to a paste. Add pepper and oil and pound or puree to a coarse paste. In a large bowl stir together the harissa and olives and marinate, covered and chilled, at least 6 hours or overnight. Olives may be prepared 1 week ahead and kept chilled, covered. Serve olives at room temperature.
• Roasted Peppers: Using a long-handled fork, char peppers over an open flame or on a rack set over an electric burner, turning, until skins are blackened, 4 to 6 minutes. (Or to broil peppers on rack of a broiler pan under a preheated broiler about 2 inches from heat, turning every 5 minutes, 15 to 20 minutes, or until skins are blistered and charred.) Transfer peppers to a bowl and let stand, covered, until cool enough to handle. Keeping peppers whole, peel them, starting at blossom end. Cut off pepper tops and discard seeds and ribs.