Here comes the sun...

Switzerland has been having a major doozie of a May, where weather is concerned. It has been cold, wet and gray.
SO when last weekend beckoned with warmth and lots of sunshine, the Swiss people surged into the open like marmots after the winter. It was just as gorgeous as promised and I read of sunburns on facebook statuses without end.
Thank god I managed to forgo that experience myself.

I decided it was time to try out something new. The lamb rack I bought on impulse on my way home would meet it's fate on the barbecue outside. Even though it was just me.
I know. I'm weird like that.

The marinade I threw together was improvised but I was very pleased with the results. The measures listed here are approximate;

2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons mustard
1 teaspoon maple syrup
1 teaspoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon fresh rosemary
1 teaspoon fresh thyme
1 teaspoon fresh marjoram
1 clove of garlic
a squeeze of lemon juice

Chop the herbs and the garlic finely and mix with the other ingredients to a paste. Liberally coat the lamb rack with it and let it stand at room temperature. Let it marinate for at least 20 minutes.

We have a big charcoal barbecue. If you purchase smaller charcoal baskets, you have the possibility of having the hot coals in only a part of the grill. This allows indirect grilling which is great for bigger cuts of meat. My father does a to-die-for roast chicken this way.

I filled only one if the two baskets with coal and lit them. They were allowed to get really hot before I got out the lamb rack and seared on both sides for one or two minutes. Then the rack was placed to the side, out of the way of the direct heat, the lid was put on and left to finish for about seven minutes.

The finished product was tender, juicy and absolutely delicious.
I can't wait to make it again.

Lamb cutlets

Yesterday was spent recuperating from a great night out two days ago (! that's how good it was) and cooking for various sick family members in the house. This produced a couple of soups and a lot of grated apple. The Orange and White Asparagus Soup will definitely be made again.

But not having foreseen the blight of sickness, I had already done the shopping in anticipation of being able to cook something a little different. I went ahead with this plan for dinner and was not disappointed. The results of this recipe will have me raving like a lunatic for some time yet.

It is, to me, the perfect finger food. The cutlets can be enjoyed without cutlery and I will definitely make this for the next party, that deserves a bit of effort.
These crunchy, juicy morsels of meat had the perfect texture for the creamy yogurt sauce. The cumin and the fresh coriander gave it the perfect hint of Asia.
Can you sense that I LOVED this? And I was not alone.

Please excuse the lack of appropriate photo-documentation. This is one instance in which a thousand raving words will have to do instead of the perfect picture. (Hope to change that soon.)

This recipe is adapted from Bill Grangers Everyday book.

12 french trimmed lamb cutlets
1 egg
1,5 tablespoons milk
flour
80 grams of fresh bread crumbs
one small handful of finely chopped flat leaved parsley
1 generous tablespoon of finely chopped fresh coriander leaves
1 teaspoon lemon zest
half a teaspoon of ground cumin
Salt and pepper to taste
Olive oil for frying

Fill your flour into a flat, deep plate or bowl. In a second dish beat together the egg and milk. In the third mix together the breadcrumbs, herbs, zest and cumin. Then season to taste.
Take your lamb cutlets and beat them gently with the broad side of a chopping knife or a rolling pin. A classic meat hammer would probably tear them to shreds in seconds...
Dip the pieces of meat first in the flour (shake off excess), then in the egg and lastly into the crumb mixture. The general goal is to get as much breadcrumbs to stick and turn these beauties into crunchy delicacies when fried up.

Heat a frying pan to medium-high heat, add olive oil and fry the cutlets in batches for about two minutes per side. Keep them warm in the oven until you want to serve them.

Herb Yogurt Sauce
125 ml greek yogurt
2 tablespoons flat leaved parsley chopped
2 tablespoons coriander chopped
1 teaspoon lemon zest
salt to taste
a pinch of crumbled dry or finely chopped fresh chili, if desired

Very simply mix all of the above together and serve with your warm lamb cutlets.

*Advice on buying the meat in Switzerland: I found the cutlets sold at the local Coop to be slightly on the thick side. I chose to buy lamb racks instead and cut them up at home.