Lamb Fillet with Blue Cheese and Mint Dressing

This lamb salad is packed full of strong flavours. Don’t be tempted to overcook the lamb – it’s best served rare. This would  be lovely served with couscous or tricolour quinoa, but it should be satisfying served just as it is.

Serves: 4

Ingredients

  • 4 x 150g (5oz) lamb fillets, well trimmed and any excess fat removed
  • 1 tbsp rapeseed oil
  • 50g (2oz) button mushrooms, thinly sliced
  • 100g (4oz) French green beans, trimmed
  • 100g (4oz) green baby salad leaves, such as baby spinach and rocket
  • 8 cherry tomatoes, halved
  • 50g (5oz) Cashel Blue or
  • Bellingham Blue cheese, crumbled
  • 50g (2oz) toasted flaked almonds
  • DRESSING:
    • 2 tbsp crème fraîche
    • 1 tsp clear honey
    • 50g (5oz) Cashel Blue or
    • Bellingham Blue cheese, crumbled
    • 2 tbsp olive oil
    • 1 tsp sherry vinegar
    • 1 tsp chopped fresh mint sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method

  1. Heat a large frying pan over a high heat until it’s searing hot. Season the lamb fillets with salt and pepper. Add the oil to the heated pan, then add the lamb fillets. Reduce the heat to a medium to high heat and cook for 5–6 minutes, turning regularly, until just cooked through and tender but still pink in the middle. Leave to rest for 5–10 minutes, covered loosely with foil to keep warm.
  2. Meanwhile, add the mushrooms to the pan you cooked the lamb fillets in. Season to taste and sauté on a medium to high heat for 2–3 minutes,  until cooked through and tender.
  3. Blanch the green beans in a pan of boiling salted water for 3–4 minutes, until just tender. Drain and quickly refresh under cold running water. Drain and dry well on kitchen paper.
  4. For the dressing, place the crème fraîche and honey in a small pan. Gently warm through, then remove from the heat and add the blue cheese. Whisk until the cheese has melted into the crème fraîche, then whisk in the olive oil, vinegar and mint. Season to taste.
  5. Place the salad leaves in a bowl and add the tomatoes, crumbled blue cheese, cooked mushrooms and blanched green beans.
  6. Carve each rested lamb fillet into thin slices. Divide the salad between four plates and arrange the lamb slices on top, then drizzle over the warm dressing and scatter over the toasted flaked almonds to serve.