Featuring Rick Wallin’s Lamb Medallions with Redcurrant Glaze

I was born in Australia and I’m currently living in Menai, NSW. Over the last 15 years cooking has been a form of relaxation after a busy and frustrating day at work. Since I finished full-time work at Christmas 2011 I’ve enjoyed having more time to expand on the variety of dishes I cook. My regular comfort meal is Eggs Benedict; however the recipe I keep going back to is my special fried rice. I get a lot of my recipes from my favourite internet cookbook, taste.com.au, but I get more good ideas from Ina Garten (The Barefoot Contessa) than anyone else. My preferred classic dish is Beef Wellington. My ideal food to eat is my next new recipe and a dish I am proud of my last new recipe.

My favourite kitchen gadget is the espresso machine. The most essential ingredients in my kitchen are good oil and other essential ingredients in the cupboard are garlic, pepper, pasta and rice. The best kitchen tip I can give is to start simple, follow the recipe and build up a personal repertoire.

There has been a few funny incidents in the kitchen, such as removing the bowl from the blender with the lid off – and the power still on. Amazing how much a short pulse can spread a strawberry and mango margarita over you and the kitchen.

Lamb Medallions with Redcurrant Glaze

This is a quick, lower-fat version of a slow-roasted classic, but with all the flavour and goodness. Serve it with crushed new potatoes for a hearty, sustaining meal. Cannellini beans have a low GI which makes them not only a good source of fiber, but a longer lasting energy source.

Ingredients serve 4

400 g new potatoes

2 medium onions

450 g lamb loin fillet or lamb backstrap

3 tablespoons olive oil

250 g small broccoli florets

400 g can cannellini beans, drained

2 chopped fresh rosemary sprigs

90 ml balsamic vinegar

2 tablespoons redcurrant jelly

Method

1. Boil the potatoes in boiling water for 15 minutes, or until cooked. Meanwhile, halve and slice the onions. Cut the lamb fillet into 2 cm thick slices. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large frying pan over a high heat and add the onions, reduce the heat to medium. Cook while stirring for 3 minutes or until tender.

2. Add the broccoli and cook, stirring, for a further 3 minutes. Stir in the cannellini beans and heat through for 1 minute. Put the vegetables and beans in a dish, cover and keep warm.

3. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon oil, lamb slices and rosemary to the pan. Cook over a medium-high heat for 2 minutes, pressing the lamb slices onto the pan so that they brown quickly and evenly. Turn the slices and cook for a further 3 minutes, or until browned. Transfer the lamb to the dish with the vegetables and keep warm.

4. Drain the potatoes, transfer them to the pan and rumble them in the pan juices. Transfer them to the dish with the lamb and vegetable and keep warm.

5. Replace the pan over a high heat. Pour in 4 tablespoons of water and the balsamic vinegar. Add the redcurrant jelly, stirring until melted. Boil the redcurrant sauce rapidly, stirring continuously, for 1 minute. Divide the lamb, beans and potatoes among four plates and spoon over the sauce.

Alternative ingredients: As a less expensive alternative to fillet, slice lean lamb steaks into wide strips at a sharp angle across the grain of the meat. Slice and halve leeks instead of the onions. Try chickpeas, borlotti beans or flageolet beans instead of cannellini beans. Redcurrant jelly has a sharp-sweet flavour. Other suitable fruit preserves include crabapple jelly or cranberry or lingonberry sauce.

Note:  Fillet of lamb and lamb backstrap contain little or no fat. This recipe uses these cuts as they can be cooked reasonably quickly without becoming tough. Don’t overcook the lamb - remember it will keep cooking through the retained heat while it’s resting