Charred lamb with smoky aubergine labneh
- Published: 2 Aug 19
- Updated: 18 Mar 24
This barbecue recipe by John Gregory-Smith combines charred Welsh lamb loin with a smoky aubergine labneh dip for a wonderful summer dish. It really showcases the best of Welsh lamb season, between the months of August and November.
- Serves 4
- Hands on time 35 min, plus at least 1 hour marinating
Ingredients
- 500g Welsh lamb loin fillets
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 3 garlic cloves, bashed
- Juice 1 lemon
- 2 aubergines
- 200g labneh or thick greek yogurt
- 35g butter
- 1½ tsp pul biber or Turkish chilli flakes (see Know-how)
- Small handful finely chopped fresh flatleaf parsley
Method
- Put the lamb into a shallow dish and add the olive oil, garlic and half the lemon juice. Mix well. Cover and leave to marinate for at least 1 hour in the fridge (see Make Ahead)
- Meanwhile, using flameproof tongs, hold the aubergines in a gas flame on the hob (or put them under a high grill) and cook for about 10-12 minutes, turning every 2-3 minutes so that they char evenly. They should look blackened and blistered on the outside and be beautifully tender inside.
- Once cool to touch, peel the aubergines and discard the skin. Finely chop the flesh and put it into a mixing bowl. Add the labneh/greek yogurt, remaining lemon juice and a good pinch of salt and mix well.
- Remove the lamb from the fridge and allow to come to room temperature for about 30 minutes. Heat the barbecue or a griddle pan to high. Season the lamb with salt and pepper, then grill/griddle for 8-12 minutes (depending on how well-done you like it), turning every few minutes, until lovely and charred but still pink in the middle. Transfer to a warm dish, cover and leave to rest for 5 minutes.
- Melt the butter in a small saucepan over a low heat. Add the pul biber/chilli flakes (see Know-how) and a good pinch of salt, then mix well. Remove from the heat and leave to infuse for a few minutes.
- To serve, put the aubergine mixture in a serving dish. Slice up the lamb and arrange over the top. Spoon the chilli butter over the meat and any resting juices. Scatter over the parsley and serve immediately.
Nutrition
- Calories
- 357kcals
- Fat
- 23g (11g saturated)
- Protein
- 30g
- Carbohydrates
- 5.9g (4.4g sugars)
- Fibre
- 3g
- Salt
- 0.5g
delicious. tips
Marinate the lamb up to 12 hours ahead and keep covered in the fridge.
Pul biber or Turkish chilli flakes is a coarsely ground middle eastern variety of chilli or paprika. (It’s also known as Aleppo chilli flakes.) Buy it from Waitrose, or online at souschef.co.uk. If you can’t find it, use a good-quality paprika instead. Labneh is a thick Middle Eastern soft cheese – if you can’t find any a thick Greek yogurt will do.
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