Honey-glazed lamb with smoked yoghurt and roasted root vegetables

Ingredients


  • 3 parsnips, quartered lengthways
  • 1 bunch each baby beetroot and baby (Dutch) carrots, trimmed, halved if large
  • 8 garlic cloves (unpeeled)
  • 100ml olive oil
  • 1 cup (280g) sheep's milk yoghurt
  • 2 tbs each brown sugar and longrain rice
  • 1/4 cup fine woodchips for smoking
  • 2 lamb backstrap fillets
  • 1/3 cup (120g) good-quality organic honey
  • Juice of 1 lemon
  • 150g baby spinach
  • 2 tbs sunflower seeds, lightly toasted

Description

1.Preheat the oven to 200°C. Combine the parsnip, beetroot, carrot and garlic on a baking tray, season and toss with 2 tbs oil. Roast for 35-40 minutes until golden and tender.
2.Meanwhile, place yoghurt in a small wide bowl set above another small bowl filled with ice (this prevents the yoghurt from curdling as it smokes).
3.Line the base of a wok with 2 pieces of foil, then add the sugar, rice and woodchips. Sit a wire rack in the wok. Place wok over high heat for 5 minutes or until starting to smoke, then place the two bowls on the rack and cover wok with a wok lid or large metal bowl. Reduce heat to medium and smoke for 10 minutes or until yoghurt has a smoky flavour. Chill yoghurt.
4.Heat 1 tbs oil in a large frypan over medium-high heat. Season the lamb, then cook, turning, for 2 minutes or until slightly browned. Reduce the heat to medium and brush the lamb with the honey. Continue cooking the lamb, turning and brushing with honey, for a further 5-6 minutes until caramelised. Remove lamb from the pan and rest, covered with foil, for 5 minutes, then slice.
5.To make a dressing, combine the resting juices with lemon juice and remaining 2 tbs oil, then season. Arrange the lamb, roast vegetables, spinach and seeds on serving plates, drizzle with the dressing and serve with smoked yoghurt.