Lamb Backstrap served with Mixed Spring Salad & Red Wine Vinaigrette

Lamb Backstrap

1. Preheat oven to 180 degrees.
2. Clean off any residual sinew from the lamb, place into roasting dish and season with salt and pepper.
3. Preheat frying/sauté pan with oil on medium to high heat.
4. Place seasoned lamb into pan and then brown the lamb on all sides.
5. Once coloured transfer to a roasting dish and cook in the oven for ten minutes until medium done.
6. Remove from the oven and let the lamb rest for at least 5 minutes before slicing to serve.

Mixed Spring Salad

1. Remove watercress leaves, lettuce leaves from their respective bunches.
2. Place them into a bowl with the spinach leaves and the vinegar.
3. Rinse all of the leaves under water then drain thoroughly and place to the side.
4. Finely dice the shallots and cut the tomatoes into halves.
5. Add the shallots and tomato’s to the drained leaves.

Red Wine Reduction

1. Sauté the shallots on a medium heat with some of the butter and oil.
2. Once softened, add the bottle of wine and the peppercorns then reduce by at least half. Pass the mixture through a sieve then return to the pan.
3. Reduce by a quarter and remove from the heat.
4. Slowly add in the butter, stirring until absorbed and season to taste. When the reduction coats the back of a spoon it is thick enough.

Red Wine Vinaigrette

1. Cut the limes in half and juice them into a mixing bowl.
2. Add the salt, pepper and red wine vinegar together then whisk.
3. While whisking, add the oil to the mixture slowly.