Roast lamb rumps with pickled onion salad

Cook Time 40 mins

Servings 4

Ingredients

4 x 180g lamb rumps
2 cloves garlic, cut in four
½ bunch sprigs of thyme
2 tbs. olive oil

Pickled onion salad

½ a red onion, very finely sliced
1 tsp. salt
2 tsp. sugar
½ cup cider vinegar
¼ bunch parsley, leaves picked
¼ bunch mint, leaves picked
Drizzle of olive oil
1 400g can chickpeas, drained
1 heaped tsp. tahini
1 clove garlic
Juice of 1 lemon
½ cup good quality extra virgin olive oil
Pinch cumin
4 tsps. labne (or plain yoghurt)
4 tsps. chilli relish or sauce (sambal oelek, harissa etc.)

Method

For the onions, make a pickling solution by placing vinegar, salt and sugar in a small saucepan and bring to the boil. Cook for 1-2 minutes. Turn the heat off and cool slightly before adding the onions. Let stand for 1 hour or even better overnight in the fridge. Strain the onion from the liquid and toss with herbs and drizzle lightly olive oil just before serving.

Preheat the oven to 180°C.

Make two deep incisions with the point of a sharp knife into the lamb rumps and place quarters of garlic cloves into each slit. Season the lamb with salt and pepper. Heat oil in a large frying pan (ideally one that can be put in the oven); seal the rumps on each side. Add thyme to the pan and cook in the oven 10 – 15 minutes for medium rare or a little longer if you prefer your meat medium. Remove from the oven, covered loosely with foil to rest for 10 minutes.

While resting make your chickpea puree. Add chickpeas, garlic, cumin, lemon juice and tahini in a food processor. Pulse until a crumb like consistency forms. With the motor still running drizzle in the olive oil until a smooth paste forms. Season the hummus with salt.

Mix the labne with the chilli paste.

Carve the roasts into thick slices and serve on a chickpea puree. Dress with the salad and dollop with the chilli labne.