Julia Busuttil Nishimura’s lighter, brighter spin on your Sunday roast lamb

Name: Julia Busuttil Nishimura’s lighter, brighter spin on your Sunday roast lamb
Cook time: 1 h
Yield: 4
Cuisine: Middle Eastern
Ingredients: 4 French-trimmed lamb racks, each with 3 cutlets; 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, plus extra if needed; 2 tsp baharat spice blend; 250g cherry tomatoes, halved; 1 eschalot (French shallot), finely diced; 2 garlic cloves, roughly chopped; sea salt, to taste

Baharat-spiced roast lamb with herbed burghul, blistered tomatoes and tahini yoghurt is a winner, every day of the week.

Julia Busuttil Nishimura

June 9, 2023

Baharat-spiced roast lamb with herbed burghul, blistered tomatoes and tahini yoghurt.William Meppem

Time:30 mins - 1 hourServes:4

Roasting lamb racks always feels a little special and is still a treat in our house. I love to use small, three-cutlet racks of lamb, first searing them in the pan, then quickly roasting them in the oven to finish cooking. They’re a speedy option and remain incredibly succulent.

Here, I’ve flavoured them with baharat – a heady mix of spices that complements the lamb’s sweetness wonderfully. A tabbouleh-inspired salad of burghul with plenty of herbs and tahini yoghurt are the perfect accompaniments.

Ingredients

4 French-trimmed lamb racks, each with 3 cutlets
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, plus extra if needed
2 tsp baharat spice blend
250g cherry tomatoes, halved
1 eschalot (French shallot), finely diced
2 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
sea salt, to taste

For the herbed burghul

150g fine burghul
large handful of dill fronds, finely chopped
large handful of coriander leave, finely chopped
large handful of mint leaves, finely chopped
large handful of parsley leaves, finely chopped
small handful of oregano leaves, finely chopped
50g pistachios, roughly chopped
2 tbsp currants
3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
juice of a lemon
sea salt, to taste

For the tahini yoghurt

2 tbsp hulled tahini
250g full-fat plain yoghurt
1 garlic clove, finely grated juice of a lemon
sea salt and pepper, to taste
lemon wedges, to serve

Method

Step 1
Preheat the oven to 200C fan-forced (220C conventional). Cook the burghul in a large saucepan of salted, boiling water until tender (6-8 minutes). Drain well, then transfer to a large bowl with the remaining ingredients. Mix and set aside.
Step 2
For the tahini yoghurt, combine all of the ingredients in a medium bowl and stir to combine. Season to taste and set aside.
Step 3
Season the lamb racks with salt, drizzle with the olive oil and rub the baharat over the lamb.
Step 4
Heat an oven-safe frying-pan over a medium-high heat. Brown the lamb racks on all sides (about 5 minutes in total). Remove from the pan and set aside.
Step 5
Reduce the heat to medium-low and tumble in the cherry tomatoes along with the eschalots and garlic. Add more olive oil, if needed. Cook until the tomatoes begin to soften, but are still holding their shape (3-4 minutes). Return the lamb to the pan, fat side up, nestling the racks on top of the tomatoes.
Step 6
Transfer the pan to the oven and roast until cooked to your liking (about 10-15 minutes). Remove the lamb racks from the pan and allow them to rest for 5 minutes. Transfer the tomatoes to the burghul mixture and mix well to combine. Season to taste.
Step 7
Slice the lamb into cutlets, or serve as small racks if you prefer, with the herbed burghul, tahini yoghurt and lemon wedges.