Lamb steaks with celeriac mash and spring ratatouille recipe

A great restaurant-style meal served at home. Serve the lamb with a homemade pesto, celeriac mash and a fresh spring ratatouille for a well balanced meal

Ingredients

Griddled lamb steaks with fresh pesto

• 6 lamb steaks, about 175g (6oz) each
• 1 tbs olive oil

For the pesto:

• 30g (1oz) each basil and mint (stalks and leaves)
• 1 fat clove garlic, peeled and crushed
• 3 tbs pine nuts, toasted
• Juice of ½ lemon
• 4-5 tb extra virgin olive oil

Celeriac mash

• 1kg (2¼lb) celeriac, peeled and diced (850g/1¾lb prepared weight)
• 1 tbs lemon juice
• 60g (2oz) butter
• Freshly grated nutmeg
• Salt and ground black pepper

Spring ratatouille

• 1 tbs olive oil
• 1 onion, peeled and sliced
• 2 heads (about 250g/8oz) fennel, thinly sliced
• 2-3 med courgettes, sliced
• 150g (5oz) baby plum tomatoes, halved

Method

1. Griddled lamab steaks with fresh pesto
   
   1. To make the pesto: Chop the herbs roughly and mix in a bowl with the garlic, pine nuts, lemon juice and oil. Season.
   2. Brush the steaks with the oil and cook on a griddle over a high heat for a couple of mins on each side, then for about 5 more mins over a lower heat. Spoon the pesto over to serve.

   Celeriac mash
   

   1. Add celeriac and lemon juice to a pan of boiling, salted water. Cook for about 30 mins, until soft. Drain well. Blend in a food processor with the butter, some nutmeg and seasoning, until smooth.
   2. Spoon on to hot plates and place the lamb on top.

   Spring ratatouille

   1. Heat the oil in a large pan with the onion. Cook for 5 mins, then add the fennel and courgette and cook for 15 mins, stirring occasionally, until just tender. Take off the heat, add the tomatoes and season well. Serve warm.