Seared Lamb Fillet

Douro Valley red wine. Serves 4.

Ingredients:

• 5 medium onions
• 2 garlic cloves
• 50g butter
• 25g demerara sugar
• 3 tablespoons cider vinegar
• 4 tablespoons red wine
• 900g Maris piper potatoes
• 115g Puy lentils
• 2 x 275g loin of lamb fillets
• 4 tablespoons single cream or milk
• Pinch of ground turmeric
• 225g baby spinach leaves
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• Sea salt and black pepper, to season
• Flat-leaf parsley, to garnish

Preparation:

1. Peel and slice four of the onions and crush the garlic. Place in a frying pan with 25g of the butter. Fry over a medium heat for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Make sure the onions don’t burn, but do become nicely golden in colour.
2. Add the sugar, vinegar and wine, season and cook over a medium heat for a further 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. When the chutney has become sticky and deeply coloured remove from the heat and keep warm.
3. Peel and chop the potatoes. Cook them in plenty of lightly salted water for 20 minutes or until they are very soft.
4. Meanwhile, rinse the lentils and simmer in unsalted water for 20 minutes or until they are just cooked.
5. Heat a griddle or ridged frying pan. Cut the remaining onion into wedges and sear on the griddle with the lamb fillet for 10 minutes.
6. Meanwhile, drain the potatoes and mash with the remaining butter and cream, stir in the turmeric and season to taste. Drain the lentils and stir the spinach into the pan, adding olive oil. Season well and allow the spinach to wilt in the pan.
7. Spoon the potatoes onto a serving plate. Slice the lamb and lay it over the spinach and lentil mixture.
8. Serve with the chutney and drizzle the meal juices over. Garnish with flat-leaf parsley.