Elegant, boneless lamb loin is festive for any holiday, but turns a regular day into a special occasion. Photography courtesy of Meat and Livestock Australia.

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January 2008

Product Reviews / Main Nibbles / Meat & Poultry

Boneless Lamb Loin With Blood Orange Sauce And White Bean Purée

An Easy, Elegant Recipe For Everyday Or Special Occasions

Lamb evokes thoughts of holiday and special-occasion meals. But easy-to-prepare lamb dishes should make an appearance regularly. This dish, featuring a boneless loin of lamb, is worthy of any one-star restaurant. But it can be prepared and cooked in 35 minutes in your own kitchen.

Try pairing this dish with garlicky, steamed spinach. If you can’t find blood oranges, which have a lovely red flesh and raspberry-tinged juice, you can substitute other oranges. (Read more about blood oranges, with four blood orange recipes and six product reviews.)

For more wonderful lamb loin, try the chops (bone in) with this recipe: Grilled Lamb Chops With Zucchini, Walnut & Caper Couscous.

Ingredients

Lamb

• 2 lamb eyes of loin
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 teaspoon green or white peppercorns, crushed
• 1 clove garlic, crushed
• 2 teaspoons finely grated blood orange or lemon zest

White Bean Purée

• 1 large potato, peeled and diced
• 15-ounce can white beans, drained and rinsed
• ¼ cup milk
• 3 basil leaves, slivered
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Sauce ½ cup blood orange juice (if unavailable, use Valencia or navel oranges) ¼ cup white wine 2 tablespoons raspberry or red wine vinegar 2 teaspoons brown sugar   Preparation

Blood oranges have a raspberry flavor that is one of the great delights of the fruit world. Photo by Josiah Gordon | SXC.

1. Remove sinew from lamb and brush with 2 tablespoons olive oil. Season with peppercorns, garlic and zest. Cover and refrigerate 30 minutes to marinate.
2. To prepare the white bean purée, boil potato in salted water for 10 minutes. Add white beans and boil until potato and beans are tender. Drain, reserving a few tablespoons of the water.
3. Transfer to a food processor or use an immersion blender. Add milk. Purée, adding the reserved cooking water, if needed, for desired consistency. Season with salt and pepper to taste and keep warm. Just before serving, stir in basil.
4. While the potato is boiling, preheat oven to 400ºF. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a sauté pan on medium high. Add the lamb. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes on each side, then cook in the oven for another 3 to 4 minutes for medium rare, or until cooked as desired. Remove from oven, cover and rest for 5 minutes before serving.
5. To prepare sauce, combine blood orange juice, wine, vinegar and sugar in the sauté pan used for the lamb and bring to a simmer. Cook until thickened to a sauce, about 8 to 10 minutes.

Recipes © copyright Meat & Livestock Australia. Additional material Lifestyle Direct, Inc. All rights reserved. Photos are the copyright of their respective owners.