Lamb Layered with Gazpacho Salsa and Salsa Verde

All this elegant, layered lamb sandwich needs is some waxy potatoes, served hot or cold, but you could even serve the couscous from the lamb and pitta bread recipe if you want a menu with a particularly contemporary slant.

Serves: 4

Recipe Ingredients

• 1.25kg leg lamb fillet, bone in
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the gazpacho salsa:

• 2 plum tomatoes
• 110g cucumber
• 1 small red pepper, halved, cored, deseeded and cut into ¼in (5mm) dice
• 1 small yellow pepper, halved, cored, deseeded and cut into ¼in (5mm) dice
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 small red onion, peeled and cut into ¼in (5mm) dice
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar

For the salsa verde:

• 20g fresh flat-leaf parsley, leaves removed
• 15g fresh basil, leaves removed, reserving 4 double sprigs for garnish
• 15g fresh mint, leaves removed
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 rounded teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 1 clove garlic, peeled and crushed
• 25g capers, drained
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1. Preheat the oven to gas mark 6, 400°F, 200°C. Rub the lamb with the olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Place in a roasting tin and cook for 1 hour 10 minutes if you like your lamb pink, giving it another 30 minutes if you prefer it well done. Baste the Iamb after about 30 minutes and once or twice more during the cooking time.
2. Meanwhile, prepare the gazpacho salsa. First put the tomatoes in a small bowl, pour sufficient boiling water over to cove; slowly count to 15, pour off the water and then quickly fill the bowl with cold water. This will stop the cooking process. Drain, lift the tomatoes out, peel and discard the skins, quarter the flesh and then scoop the seeds out with a tea spoon and throw away. Cut the flesh into 1 (5mm) dice and return to the bowl. Next, cut the cucumber into 2in (5cm) lengths, quarter these and remove the seeds with the point of a teaspoon and discard. Then cut the cucumber into Y4in (5mm) dice and add to the bowl with the tomatoes, along with the diced peppers and onion. Add the olive oil, red wine vinegar and seasoning and stir. Cover and let the mixture stand for 1 hour.
3. To make the salsa verde, roughly chop all the herbs. Using a small whisk or fork, mix the olive oil, mustard and garlic together in a small bowl, then add the capers and the chopped herbs to make a rough mixture. Season, cover and put aside.
4. When the lamb is cooked to your taste, remove it from the oven and allow to cool completely in its tin for about 1 hour before carving, which will stop the loss of all those lovely juices. Transfer to a chopping board and, using a carving knife, slice the lamb down each side of the bone to give 2 pieces. Then cut each piece of lamb widthways into 1 (5mm) slices. Reserve the best pieces for the top, the second-best pieces for the bottom and keep the smaller pieces for using jigsaw- fashion in the middle layers of the lamb sandwich.
5. To assemble, take 4 plates and place a slice of lamb in the centre of each. Lightly season. Reserve a quarter of the gazpacho salsa for garnish and then divide the rest between the lamb, spreading it to the edges. Next, place another slice of lamb on top and season again. Then divide all the salsa verde between these slices, again taking it to the edges. Top with the final slice of lamb, season again and then spoon the reserved gazpacho salsa over and garnish each with a sprig of the reserved basil. The lamb will come to no harm if you want to assemble these up to an hour before serving. If you’re doing this, though, lightly cover them and keep in a cool place. If it is a hot day, pop them in the fridge, remembering to remove them 30 minutes before serving so that the lamb is not over-chilled, which would spoil the flavour.

Wine suggestion: Rioja Crianza 1993