Name: Lamb cutlets with mustard and shallot sauce
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 45 min
Yield: 4
Ingredients: 8 trimmed lamb cutlets; ½ onion, cut into quarters; 8 thyme sprigs, plus extra for garnish; 4 garlic cloves, crushed; ¼ - ½ tsp cayenne pepper; 2 tsp lemon juice; 1 tbsp vegetable oil, plus 1 tsp; 1 tbsp olive oil; 1 tbsp unsalted butter; 1 shallot, finely chopped; 75g Dijon mustard; 1 tbsp wholegrain mustard; 1 tbsp lemon juice; ¼ tsp soft light brown sugar

Plate of lamb cutlets with a dipping sauce in a bowl

8 trimmed lamb cutlets
½ onion
cut into quarters
8 thyme sprigs
plus extra for garnish
4 garlic cloves
crushed
¼ - ½ tsp cayenne pepper
2 tsp lemon juice
1 tbsp vegetable oil
plus 1 tsp

Mustard sauce

1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp unsalted butter
1 shallot
finely chopped
75g Dijon mustard
1 tbsp wholegrain mustard
1 tbsp lemon juice
¼ tsp soft light brown sugar

Method

step 1
Put the cutlets in a deep baking tray along with the onion, thyme, garlic, cayenne (adjust depending on how spicy you’d like the chops to be) and lemon juice. Drizzle with 1 tsp of oil and season well, tossing together. Cover with foil and leave to marinate for at least 4 hrs, ideally overnight.
step 2
Heat the oven to 140C/120C fan/gas 1. Remove the tray from the fridge 30 mins before cooking. Add a splash of water to the tray, cover again tightly with foil, and cook for 15 mins until the cutlets are just cooked through and tender. Discard the contents of the tray, keeping the lamb.
step 3
Put the remaining oil into a frying pan over a high heat. Sear four of the cutlets for 1 min-1 min 30 seconds on each side without moving, including the side of fat, until deeply golden brown. Repeat with the remaining cutlets. Transfer to a plate and leave to rest.
step 4
While the cutlets rest, start on the sauce. Put the oil and butter in a pan over a low-medium heat. Once melted, cook the shallot for 5-6 mins or until softened. Remove from the heat and add the mustards, lemon juice and sugar. Strain in the juices left from the rested lamb along with 1 tbsp of water and whisk together, lightly seasoning to taste. Serve with the chops garnished with the thyme.