FEATURE RECIPE
Lamb baked in lavender salt with mustard beans

Lamb baked in lavender salt with mustard beans

Lavender and lamb is a Provençal classic. If you use a very coarse rock salt you may need less liquid in the salt crust, so add it judiciously.

Serves 2

Cooking Time Prep time 10 mins, cook 15 mins



2   lamb backstraps (about 240gm each)
2   garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 tbsp   Dijon mustard
300 gm   coarse rock salt, lightly crushed
2 tbsp   dried lavender, plus extra to serve
1 tbsp   coarsely crushed black peppercorns
1   egg, lightly whisked
Mustard beans
100 gm   green beans, halved widthways
2 tbsp   extra-virgin olive oil
1   golden shallot, finely chopped
25 gm   mizuna or rocket leaves
1 tbsp   lemon juice
½ tsp   Dijon mustard


1 Preheat oven to 200C. Place lamb on a baking tray, rub all over with garlic and brush with mustard. Combine salt, lavender, pepper and egg in a bowl, adding a little water if necessary to make a thick paste. Spoon salt mixture over lamb, press firmly to form a crust, then roast until cooked to your liking (12-15 minutes for medium-rare). Rest for 5 minutes, then crack salt crust just before serving.
2 Meanwhile, for mustard beans, blanch beans until just tender (1-2 minutes). Heat olive oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat, add shallot and sauté until just softened (2-3 minutes), add beans and sauté until just warmed through (1-2 minutes). Add mizuna and sauté until just wilted (30 seconds-1 minute), then stir through lemon juice and mustard, season to taste.
3 Brush excess salt from lamb, slice thickly and serve scattered with extra lavender, with mustard beans on the side.

This recipe is from the February 2010 issue of Australian Gourmet Traveller.

Drink Suggestion Pale, dry but full-bodied Provençal-style rosé.

RECIPE Rodney Dunn PHOTOGRAPHY William Meppem STYLING Aimee Jones and Rodney Dunn DRINK SUGGESTION Max Allen

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