Maca lamb loin with Olluco potatoes and Uchucuta sauce
- Preparation and cooking time
- Total time
- plus marinating
- Easy
- Serves 4
Skip to ingredients
Ingredients
- 400g lamb loin, any fat or sinew removed
- 2 cloves garlic, crushed
- 100g panca chilli paste or any smoked chilli paste
- 2 tsp red wine vinegar
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- achiote (annatto seeds) oil or rapeseed oil
- olive oil, for frying
- 240g Olluco potatoes, Anya potatoes or new potatoes, boiled and halved to serve
- Greek yoghurt, to serve
PERUVIAN HERB MIX
- a bunch coriander, chopped
- a bunch basil, chopped
- a bunch tarragon, chopped
UCHUCUTA SAUCE
- 50g garlic cloves, (approx. 1 bulb)
- a large bunch coriander
- 200g baby spinach
- 15g cancha corn or shelled pistachios
- 20g feta
- 100-150ml olive oil
MACA-CANCHA-PANCA powder
- 5g maca powder
- 10g cancha corn or shelled pistachios, blended to a powder
- 10g aji panca chilli powder or other smoked chilli powder
Method
- STEP 1
Portion the lamb equally into 4. To make the Peruvian herb mix, put all of the herbs in a blender and whizz until finely chopped. Mix the garlic, panca chilli paste, vinegar, soy sauce, achiote oil and Peruvian herb mix in a large bowl. Add the lamb, stir to coat in the spices and marinate for 3 hours. Remove from the fridge half an hour before cooking to come to room temperature.
- STEP 2
To make the uchucuta sauce, blanch the garlic cloves in boiling water for 4-5 minutes, adding the coriander and spinach leaves for the last 30 seconds. Strain through a colander, and plunge into iced water to cool. Drain again, squeezing all the water from the mix. Put all the ingredients, except the oil, in a small blender and whizz until blended, gradually adding the oil with the motor still running until it makes a smooth sauce. Cover and chill.
- STEP 3
Put a splash of olive oil in a frying pan and remove the lamb loins from the marinade. Fry for 2 minutes on all 4 sides for medium, or longer if you like. The internal temperature should reach 60C. Leave to rest under foil.
- STEP 4
Mix all of the maca-cancha-panca powder ingredients together.
- STEP 5
To serve, slice the lamb portions and put onto the plates. Add some cooked potatoes, followed by the uchucuta sauce. Finally, sprinkle with the maca-cancha-panca powder. Drizzle over some greek yogurt, if you like.
