18/03/2022

Za’atar and Haloumi Lamb Cutlets with Esme Salad

Oh how I love lamb cutlets - tender sweet little morsels of meat with a convenient built-in handle. It's fun to tuck in a little haloumi to form a surprise centre, and coat them in spice before they hit the barbecue. Here I've served them with a crunchy and colourful Turkish Esme Salad that is a great contrast to any barbecued meats.

Makes:

12 Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cooking Time: 10 minutes

Download Recipe PDF

Ingredients

12 large lamb cutlets, trimmed
120g haloumi cheese, drained
za’atar* or dukkah spices, for sprinkling
lemon wedges, for serving
extra virgin olive oil, for drizzling
ESME SALAD
1 punnet cherry tomatoes, cut into wedges
1 red onion, finely diced
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 large green capsicum, finely diced
1 large red capsicum, finely diced
1 cup chopped continental parsley
2 tablespoons tomato paste
2 tablespoons pomegranate molasses or balsamic glaze
1 teaspoon chilli flakes
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 teaspoons salt

Method

Using a sharp pointed knife, cut a deep pocket into the side of each lamb cutlet. Cut haloumi into 12 squares. Insert a square of haloumi into each cutlet, reshaping it to enclose the cheese.
Season cutlets on both sides with za’atar spices. Barbecue cutlets for 3-4 minutes on each side until browned and haloumi has softened.
Serve hot on a bed of Esme Salad with a squeeze of lemon juice and drizzle of oil.
For the Esme Salad, combine all the ingredients together and serve with cutlets. The salad may be made up to 1 day before.
*Za’atar Spice Blend: Combine 1 tablespoon each of sesame seeds, dried thyme, ground cumin, dried oregano, sumac and sea salt.

Tips

TIPS Make up a jar of za’atar to keep in your pantry to sprinkle a little Middle Eastern flavour into dishes.
STYLING Perch the cutlets on mounds of salad with the cutlet bones upward, so they are easy to grab.
DRINK MATCH Montepulciano or Australian pale ale.

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