While it’s tempting to eat only warm food in cold weather, sometimes something fresh and crunchy is called for, even if there’s a gale blowing. Add some warmth with spices or garlic, say, and you have a proper winter salad. The word salad, incidentally, means ‘salted herbs or vegetables’, so salad is named after its dressing, not the veg in the bowl; in other words, a salad without a dressing isn’t a salad at all. That also applies to these lamb leg steaks (a much cheaper alternative to chops), which just wouldn’t be the same without their garlicky, rosemary-scented marinade.
Grilled lamb steaks with crisp celery and fennel salad with anchovy and garlic dressing
Prep 30-35 min
Cook 10 min
Serves 4
6 garlic cloves, smashed and peeled
2 tbsp olive oil
Zest and juice of ½ lemon
1 tsp chopped rosemary
Salt and black pepper
4 lamb leg steaks (or chops)
For the salad
4 ribs of celery or 1 celery heart, leaves retained
1 fennel bulb, tough outer layer removed
1 head red chicory or ½ head radicchio, roughly shredded
1 handful parsley leaves
For the dressing
½ garlic clove
4 anchovy fillets, finely chopped
½ tbsp capers, finely chopped
1 pinch dried chilli flakes
1 tbsp red-wine vinegar
4 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
Put the garlic, oil, lemon zest and juice, the rosemary. a teaspoon of salt and a little pepper in a small plastic bag, add the lamb and rub the mix into the meat to coat. Seal the bag, then leave to marinate at room temperature (or in the fridge, if doing so a day or so in advance).
Put two handfuls of ice in a large bowl and cover with cold water. Slice the celery as finely as you can (use a mandoline, if you have one) and put in the bowl. Cut the fennel in half through its root, then finely slice that, too, add to the bowl, and leave to crisp up.
For the dressing: crush the garlic into a puree with a pinch of salt, scrape into a bowl with the anchovies and capers, then whisk in the chilli, vinegar and oil.
When you’re ready to eat, heat a griddle or frying pan on a high flame, then grill or fry the steaks for two to four minutes a side (depending on their thickness and how pink you like your lamb). Remove from pan, cover with foil and leave to rest.
Meanwhile, spin-dry the celery and fennel, and put in a bowl with the chicory and parsley. Season with just a touch of salt and pepper, add the dressing and toss. Cut the lamb into slices and serve with the crunchy salad.
And for the rest of the week…
Chargrilled vegetables, such as slices of aubergine or strips of just-steamed Jerusalem artichokes, drizzled with lots of good-quality olive oil are a meat-free option to go with this salad. Or toss the dressing through roast cauliflower florets for a warm salad. Any leftover lamb will be delicious cold stuffed inside hot jacket potatoes and bathed in plenty of mint sauce.
- Food styling: Amy Stephenson
