Lamb cutlets with black olive tapenade and potato and apple layer bake

Meat mains

Lamb cutlets with black olive tapenade and potato and apple layer bake

Name: Lamb cutlets with black olive tapenade and potato and apple layer bake
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 1 h
Total time: 1 h 20 min
Yield: 4

Main Serves 4 1h 20 min

Salty tapenade cuts through the juicy succulence of the lamb chops, and both are set off well by the traditional trio of potatoes, onions and apples. If you have pork or lamb chops, use these instead of the cutlets, but they may need just a little longer cooking time. Serve this with seasonal green veg. Any leftover tapenade can be kept to serve with crudités, or try spreading it on toast, topping with goat's cheese and grilling for a lunch or light supper with some salad leaves.

Ingredients

for the bake

400g potatoes, peeled and finely sliced
1 apple, cored and finely sliced
1 small onion, finely sliced
150ml veg or chicken stock
knob of butter
150g black olives, pitted
25g capers (if in brine, soak for 10 mins and drain)
2 anchovies
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
juice of ½ lemon, or more to taste
1½-2 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp fresh parsley, finely chopped

for the lamb

4 lamb cutlets (or use pork or lamb chops)
olive oil for frying
salt and pepper

Method

Prep time: 20 min

Cooking time: 1h

For the bake

Step 1
preheat oven to 180°C/Gas 4. Lightly butter a small baking dish and alternately layer the potato, apple and onion, and season well with salt and pepper. Pour over the stock and dot the butter across the top.
Step 2
Bake in the oven for 45-50 minutes, until the veg is cooked through and the top has started to crisp up and brown. If it starts to get too brown, cover with a loose sheet of foil.

For the tapenade

Step 1
Put all the ingredients in a food processor except the oil and parsley, and blitz until you have a rough paste. Gradually add the oil, then stir in the parsley.

To cook the lamb

Step 1
Once the potato bake is cooked, put it on a lower shelf to keep warm and turn the heat up to 200°C/Gas 6. Heat a little oil in a large frying pan, preferably an ovenproof one (or use a large frying pan and transfer the meat to a baking dish afterwards).
Step 2
Cook the lamb on the fatty edge for 2-3 minutes, then seal each side for a minute or two. Spread a teaspoon of tapenade over each chop, and transfer to the oven and cook for about 6 minutes. Drizzle tapenade over the lamb, and serve with the potato bake.