Roast Lamb Couscous with Cucumber, Mint & Cumin Yogurt
Clock Image
Prep: 15 mins
Cook: 15 mins
Flash frying lamb neck fillet then quickly roasting it keeps it tender and juicy. Rubbed with sweet and sour sumach, our organic lamb neck is delicious dished up with fluffy couscous and a cooling cucumber, mint and cumin yogurt salad.
This recipe is a:
See this week's box.
Recipe Box Recipe Main Image
848 kcal
(per portion)
Ingredients you'll need
  • 150g wholewheat couscous
  • 2 tsp cumin seeds
  • 300g lamb neck fillet
  • 2 tsp sumach
  • 1 short cucumber
  • 1 red spring onion
  • 2 lemons
  • 1 garlic clove
  • A handful of mint, leaves only
  • 150g Greek style yogurt
  • 50g lamb's lettuce
From your kitchen
  • 300ml boiling water
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • Sea salt
  • Freshly ground pepper
You'll need
Step by step this way
  • 1.

    Heat your oven to 220°C/Fan 200°C/Gas 7. Tip the couscous into a heatproof bowl and pour in 300ml boiling water. Stir to mix, then cover the bowl with a plate and set aside to soak. The couscous will suck up the water and become tender. Make the rest of the dish while the couscous soaks.

  • 2.

    Place a dry frying pan on a medium heat and add 2 tsp cumin seeds. Toast for 1-2 mins till the seeds start to pop and jump and smell nutty. Tip them into a mixing bowl. Set aside.

  • 3.

    Keep the frying pan on the heat so it gets really hot. Rub 1 tbsp olive oil into the lamb, then sprinkle it with 1 tsp sumach and a pinch of salt and pepper. Rub the spices into the lamb.

  • 4.

    Add the lamb to the frying pan and fry for 3-4 mins to brown the bottom of the fillet, Turn it over and then slide the frying pan into the oven. Roast for 8 mins for pink, 10 mins for medium. Frying pan not heatproof? Transfer the lamb neck fillet to a roasting tin, browned-side down, and roast it.

  • 5.

    While the lamb roasts, peel the cucumber (the peel can be bitter), then dice it and add it to the bowl of cumin seeds. Trim the roots and any raggedy tops off the spring onion. Finely slice it, purple and green parts, and add it to the bowl. Finely grate in the zest from the remaining lemon. Peel and grate in the garlic clove. Pick the mint leaves off their sprigs and shred them, then add them to the bowl.

  • 6.

    Spoon the yogurt into the bowl. Squeeze in the juice from half the lemon and add 1 tbsp olive oil and a pinch of salt. Stir to mix.

  • 7.

    When the lamb has finished roasting, transfer it to a board, loosely cover with foil and let it rest for 2-3 mins.

  • 8.

    Fluff the couscous with a fork and divide between 2 warm plates. Slice the lamb and add it to the plates with a handful of lamb’s lettuce each. Spoon the cucumber yogurt onto the plate, sprinkle with a pinch of the sumach and serve.

This recipe is from