Lebanese Lamb and Lentil Salad

November 11, 2003

I read this rather gruesome story in the newspaper the other day about a man who had taken an axe to his brother because he hadn't expressed appreciation for the meal that had been prepared for him.

Fortunately The Spouse is fairly safe. He is always appreciative of the meal set before him each evening. I think he knows when he is on to a good thing. I suspect that many years ago when he was contemplating the transition from bachelorhood to the married state, the fact that I had an abiding interest in the culinary arts may have verified the old adage that the way to a man's heart is through his stomach.

When I cook for him I never have to worry about any food fads. True, he isn't a fan of polenta. And he would rather not eat tripe or lamb's fry. But, hey, I can live with that. And I can't actually remember where the axe is, anyway.

I have a grand collection of cookbooks and I go on periodic ethnic sprees. The Australian Women's Weekly has a lovely collection of small inexpensive books in its Great Cuisines series and when I bought a couple of little lamb rumps at the supermarket the other day, I plucked their Lebanese Cooking book from my library shelves.

Dish of the night was Lamb and Lentil Salad and here is my adaptation of the recipe. The original called for a cup each of red and brown lentils. As there were only two of us for dinner, I opted for only the brown lentils. When you cook lentils which still have their skin, it's a good idea to refrain from salting the water. The salt can toughen the skin and the lentils tend to stay fairly hard and can take a long while to cook. I like to add the salt towards the end of cooking, once the lentils have become tender.

There were some leftovers which I took to work for lunch. No lamb left, but very tasty nonetheless, which made me think this might make a good vegetarian salad, sans lamb.

Lamb and Lentil Salad

1 cup brown lentils
1 tablespoon coriander seeds
2 small lamb rumps
1 cup chopped cucumber
1 small red onion, cut into thin rings
2 medium tomatoes, coarsely chopped
2 teaspoons each of sweet paprika, ground cumin, ground coriander
2 tablespoons each grapeseed oil, lemon juice
1 iceberg lettuce heart, sliced

Simmer the lentils uncovered in boiling water until tender. Salt three or four minutes before draining. Rinse under cold water.

Crush the coriander seeds in a mortar and press into the lamb rumps.

Cook the lamb, uncovered, in a little oil in a nonstick pan until browned all over and cooked as desired. Allow the lamb to rest for five minutes then slice thinly.

Gently toss the lentils, lamb, cucumber, onion and tomato in a large bowl with the spices, lemon juice and oil.

Place the lettuce in a bowl or dish and top with the remaining ingredients. Garnish with a few fresh mint leaves.

Recipe © ACP Publishing Limited 2000 Photo © Pat Churchill