Pan-fried lamb steaks with summer vegetables

Who doesn't like lamb? Seriously. Show me someone who doesn't like lamb and I'll show you someone not to be trusted. Last night we had The Greeks over for dinner so OBVIOUSLY I was looking at making lamb. (yip, that's a stereotype right there...) I wanted to try and keep it healthy though so you can imagine how stoked I was when I stumbled across lamb steaks. I had never cooked them before last night but I was amazed at how lean they were. A quick chat to The Brother of The Other Guy Who Can Cook confirmed that what I had in mind would work so off I went. Here's how it turned out.

Stuff you'll need to feed 4:

• 4 x 220g lamb steaks. (It's a rich meat so you don't need huge portions)
• A teaspoon of dried oregano
• A teaspoon of dried marjoram
• A bunch of fresh rosemary, finely chopped
• 4 cloves of garlic, finely chopped or minced
• A few anchovies, finely chopped or minced (optional). Remember what I said when one of my recipes says optional. It basically means you're an idiot if you don't use it because it will make the difference between a good dish and a great one. But hey, it's your choice. 
• 8 baby carrots, peeled with tops intact
• A handful of frozen peas. (Yip, frozen peas)
• A handful of sugarsnap peas (mangetout will also work)
• A handful of tenderstem broccoli, peeled to remove any tough "woody" bits near the base
• Juice of 2 lemons

Okay, what to do:

1. In a shallow dish combine all the herbs, the anchovies and  the garlic. Add a good glug of olive oil to create a paste. Throw the steaks in and add sea salt and black pepper. Leave to marinade for about an hour. 

2. In a red-hot pan fry the steaks for about 2 - 3 minutes per side. Remove and cover with tin foil. 

3. Meanwhile in salted boiling water blanch the carrots for about 2 minutes. Add the broccoli. After about 3 - 4 more minutes add the sugarsnaps. Finally, after about a minute more add the peas. When everything is done (the vegetables must be cooked but still retain a bite. If anything is getting too soft fish them out) drain the vegetables in a colander. Place in a bowl, add the lemon juice and toss. 

4. To serve, place vegetables in the centre of a large plate. Cut the steak into diagonal pieces and carefully place on top. Add a dash of olive oil to finish it off. 

So...again, that dish was so easy I'm almost embarrassed to put it up here. But bloody hell it was good. Lamb steaks. Write it down. 

Cheers,

Jamie Who