Smoked Paprika Neck Fillets with Ratatouille
- Serves:
- 4
- Preparation time:
- Cooking time:
Ingredients
- 800g boneless New Zealand Lamb neck fillet
- 2 teaspoons of sweet smoked paprika (use picante paprika for a more spicy taste)
- 100ml extra virgin olive oil
- 1 teaspoon of salt
- 80ml thick yoghurt
- 1 large red onion, peeled and cut into 1cm dice
- 4 cloves of garlic, peeled and quartered
- 1 red pepper, stem removed, cut into 1/2 cm thick strips
- 1 medium aubergine, stem removed, cut into 2cm dice
- 2 medium courgettes, stems removed, cut into 1cm rings
- A handful of flat parsley leaves
- A large handful of mint leaves
- Juice of 1 large lemon
- A little extra oil for cooking the lamb
- One lemon, cut into 4 wedges
Method
1. Mix the smoked paprika with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil, 1 teaspoon of salt and the yoghurt. Toss the neck fillets in this and leave to marinate for at least 2 hours, or overnight.
2. An hour before you?re ready to eat, turn the oven to 220ºC. Heat up an
ovenproof frying pan and add all but 2 tablespoons of the remaining olive oil. When it?s smoking, add the onion, garlic and pepper and fry them, stirring occasionally until they wilt and begin
to colour.
3. Add the aubergine and courgettes and mix well, then season with a little salt and some freshly ground pepper. Place the pan in the top of the oven and cook for 40-45 minutes, until the vegetables are just done.
4. Remove them from the oven and mix in the parsley, mint and lemon juice. Taste for seasoning and keep in a warm place (although this is lovely cold in summer).
5. Meanwhile, ten minutes before they?re ready, heat up another ovenproof pan and add the remaining oil, followed by the lamb neck fillets and cook until browned. Roast in the oven for 15 minutes, then remove and rest in a warm spot for 5 minutes before slicing into pieces 1cm thick.
6. To serve, pile some ratatouille into the centre of each plate, then lay the sliced lamb on top and serve with a wedge of lemon.
