When L. was little we lived in London and, being an Anglophile, I made sure that lamb with mint sauce made an appearance on our table from time to time. L. could eat his weight in lamb chops and I always got a kick out of watching my toddler dine enthusiastically, with a chop clutched in each fat fist. After we left the UK, I guess he lost interest, or the quality of the lamb wasn't as good as it had been there, and lamb made an entry on L's list of items that he did not want to eat. It's a short list but there are a few things over the years that I have eliminated from my cooking rotation entirely so as not to have to hear about it.
Recently I really felt like eating lamb and decided to reintroduce it; let the chips fall where they might! After first trying to use the meal to substantiate a potential claim that I am a bad mother, this recipe won L. over and I am now allowed to serve lamb again. But only cooked this way, apparently. My work here is not quite done...fresh mint sauce may make an appearance on our table in the not too distant future.
That said, the tartness of the pomegranate molasses, the tang of the mustard, the fragrance of the cumin and coriander and the slight hint of heat from the ginger all combined to made this dish a winner. I served it with zucchini and yellow squash roasted with garlic and dusted with fresh mint; next time a dollop of labne might be nice. It would also taste good with a hearty grain dish; I will explore that option and get back to you.
1 lb lamb tenderloin, cut into medallions. I had 2 1/2 lb tenderloins and I cut each one into 6 portions, leaving with me with 12 medallions or 3 per person (please refer to weekly menu - introduction should you need reminding that, unless indicated otherwise, I write my recipes for 4 servings)
2 Tbsps pomegranate molasses (if this is not available near you then buy a small bottle of POM's pomegranate juice at the supermarket and reduce it over low heat until it is thick and syrupy. Use the same amount as the molasses)
1 Tbsp grain mustard
2 tsps cumin powder
2 tsps coriander powder
1 tsp grated fresh ginger
1 Tbsp olive oil
Salt to taste
Mix the pomegranate molasses, mustard, cumin, coriander, ginger and 2 tsps of the oil together in a large bowl. Add the lamb medallions and make sure that each piece of meat is lightly coated with the marinade. Refrigerate and let the meat marinade for a couple of hours. Remove the meat from the fridge about 15-30 minutes before cooking and salt each piece on both sides.
Heat the remaining 1 tsp of oil in a large frying pan. Medium low is really the only way to go here because the pomegranate molasses contains a lot of sugar and you risk the danger of your meat burning (rather than the marinade caramelizing into a lovely crust) if you don't watch your cooking temperature and time.
My medallions were about 3 cm (a bit more than an inch) thick and I cooked them for 2 minutes per side to ensure a rare/medium-rare finish as shown below.
