Chargrilled Hibiscus-Marinated Lamb With Rocket, Mint, Giant Couscous and Pomegranate Salad
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Easy
Hibiscus adds complex perfume and notes of tart, red berries – a perfect pairing with lamb. Grinding the flowers for a wet marinade turns the raw meat a vibrant shade of pink, but don’t be alarmed - the colour is less vivid after cooking. The freshness of the mint and sweet and sourness of the pomegranate complement the fattiness of the lamb beautifully. Sunshine on a plate that can be eaten at any time of the year.
Ingredients for lamb Serves: 2
- 2 lamb leg steaks
Ingredients for the marinade
- 5g dried hibiscus flowers
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- ½ tsp fine sea salt
- A generous grind of black pepper
- 2 cloves of garlic, crushed
- The juice of 1 lemon
- 2 tbsp olive oil
Ingredients for giant couscous salad
- 100g giant couscous
- 1 tbsp pomegranate molasses
- 4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tbsp white wine vinegar
- A generous pinch of salt
- 70g rocket
- A generous bunch of fresh mint
- ½ pomegranate seeds
Method for chargrilled hibiscus-marinated lamb with giant couscous salad
- Grind the dried hibiscus flowers in a spice grinder and tip into a medium-sized shallow dish. Stir in the ground cumin, fine sea salt, a generous grind of black pepper, crushed garlic cloves, lemon juice, and olive oil.
- Put 2 lamb steaks in the marinade and turn to coat. Cover the dish and leave the lamb to marinate in the fridge for at least 3 hours, or overnight, turning the meat over in the marinade every now and then.
- Remove the meat from the marinade and place in a new dish – make sure any solid pieces of garlic have been scraped off, or they will burn on cooking. Leave the lamb to come up to room temperature.
- In the meantime, rinse the giant couscous, in a sieve, and boil it in salted water for 15 minutes, or until tender. Drain through a sieve and rinse in cold water to cool it down.
- Scrape the remaining marinade into another small saucepan and heat thoroughly before transferring into a jug and whisking in the pomegranate molasses, extra virgin olive oil, white wine vinegar, and a generous pinch of salt.
- Wash the rocket and pick the leaves from a generous bunch of mint. Heat a griddle pan very hot and griddle the lamb for 2 minutes on each side for rosy pink meat, or longer for well done – this can also be done on the barbecue. Leave the lamb to rest for 5 minutes.
- Toss the cold couscous, rocket, and mint in the marinade dressing and serve with the lamb. Scatter over the seeds from ½ a pomegranate and serve immediately.
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Shop all edible flowers, and try our giant couscous carrot and feta salad.