I know that it seems like a lot to say, ” Lamb with Pistachio Green Olive Tabouli, Creamed Cauliflower “, but believe me, it is surprisingly simple to make. One thing in this life that is not simple however, is locking a tent.
Lamb, green olives and pistachio with cauliflower
Why on earth would this be necessary? Is probably a question you might want to ask.
For several months, a few years back I lived in isolation, in a tent by the seaside in a town called Zadar, on the Croatian Coast. There wasn’t terribly much excitement in these parts unless you consider middle-aged Germans basking on the private beaches of the big hotel next door to the campsite ( where I lived) to be exciting. This is how I believe I became the most exciting entertainment in town.
I had a bus of 55 people to cook for every third day. The trouble is it sometimes took me that long to locate the food I needed to feed them. The uncertain nature of life in these parts often meant shortages of almost anything weekly. There would be no sugar or perhaps milk, cereal or bread or just about anything I might have to buy. The bus arrived for dinner stayed for breakfast and left the next day with a picnic basket full of lunch that sometimes contained the oddest of things. Mine was the stop between Dubrovnik and Trieste on route to Venice. There were a couple of shops for staples but I had to trawl the markets for meat and vegetables. I learned to say yes , no, please and count to ten in the local dialect but, a few other choice words managed to find there way into my vocabulary and I would mutter them to my self as I tried to barter with the old crones at the market. Although I knew them well, each time I went they would pretend not to know me and we would have to go through the whole process of them ignoring me for a while, then they would ask me for ridiculous amounts of money and then they’d nudge each other and call out , laughing toothless grins. I really grew tired of these cruel antics
I also grew tired of late night visitors to my tent. When the coffee shops emptied out for the night, after much drinking and smoking and card playing, the local men would make there way home past the campsite and one would be encouraged to drop by my tent. I would wake up in a fright and scare them off with a big stick. They were always so drunk they were harmless, but it was very scary. And so, it seems I had become the entertainment. After a short while I had a brilliant idea. I asked one of the tour bus drivers to bring me a pad lock from Italy and I zipped the tent down, padlocked it and drove a tent peg into the flap attaching it to the ground for good measure. This was just too difficult for anyone to manage ( at times even me). Entertainment was then confined to day times, when they would laugh at me cooking in the big cooks tent as they sat on the fence at the caravan park.
Green Olive and Pistachio Tabouli
There was never any lamb here to eat, but I did love the local Bourek and the squid ink rice.
Lamb with Pistachio Green Olive Tabouli, Creamed Cauliflower
Ingredients
- 500 gm lamb fillets about 2 thick large backstraps, or 12 cutlets
- 2 teaspoons cumin ground
- 2 teaspoons sumac
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
Cauliflower puree
- 700 gm cauliflower approx 1 small to medium cauliflower weigh the flowrettes not the stem
- 300 gm potato peeled raw finely chopped
- 125 ml cream thickened or heavy (1/2 cup )
- 250 ml chicken stock 1 cup
- 50 ml lemon Juice 1/2
- 30 gm butter 1 tablespoon
- pepper
Tabouli
- 40 ml couscous soaked and ready to use 1/4 cup, done by adding 40 gm boiling stock or water
- 150 gm Green olives deseeded (1 1/4 cups)
- 200 gm pistachios toasted unsalted pistachios (1 1/2 cups)
- 1 clove garlic
- 2 bunches parsley leaves flat leaf
- 1 bunch mint leaves
- 80 ml olive oil 4 tablespoons
- 1 lemon zested and juiced
Instructions
- Lamb coating mix . Mix up the cumin, sumac and salt and dust the meat with this. Set aside.
- Put the chopped potato and the chopped cauliflower flowrettes (no stem) into a wide saucepan with the cream and stock. Cook slowly with the lid on until they are quite tender.
- Puree this mixture along with the butter in a vitamix or with a stick blender till very smooth. Season with salt and pepper and add up to 1/2 lemon juice to taste, incorporating well. Keep warm or put into a container for later use.
Tabouli
- Put the nuts, deseeded olives, rough chopped parsley, mint, lemon zest, lemon juice and oil into the food processor and blitz till still nice and chunky. Pour into a bowl and add the prepared couscous. Also add some extra olive oil and lemon juice stir well and add extra seasoning *( salt and pepper only after tasting) if required. . ( store for later or set aside till the Lamb is cooked)
- Roll your Lamb in the dry mixed spices.
- Heat a frypan to very hot add some oil and sear the lamb. I use fillet and I like to turn the Lamb once then put the frypan into a 200 deg C (390 F) oven for 8 minutes before resting. If this doesn't suit you lower the heat slightly and cook 5 minutes on 1 side before turning. Cook a further 6-8 minutes before resting. Test by using your fingers to feel how firm the lamb feels. The firmer it is the more well done.
- Serve with the creamed cauliflower and tabouli.
Notes
***You can use quinoa instead of couscous
***This will be a nicely dressed, fine chopped salsa resembling the usual tabouli style salad
That lamb looks like its been cooked to perfection! I loved Dubrovnik on my travels through Europe, however that said I didnt live there and only experienced it as a tourist. I’d be terrified of late night tent visitors too, especially in a foreign country!
I would have had more than a big stick as a weapon – at least two big sticks. You are so brave to have put up with all of that. But what a lovely looking lamb dish and so perfect for Easter where a lot of people choose to eat lamb. I haven’t had lamb with pureed cauliflower (can’t imagine why not) and now need to try this. The touch of green makes it all so pretty on the plate xx
What a fancy dish, professionally plating too…
i love the seared lamb with the tabuoli,
love to serve couscous with lamb chop but none tabuoli,
tempting to try…..
What a delicious sounding meal. I love olives with lamb…I think you are a nice combination. I’ll definitely make your couscous soon.
The things you learn about someone when you read their blog. 🙂 What a wacky experience and I would have been frightened silly at the late-night antics.
Your lamb would make me immensly happy right now.. what a gorgeous plate of food.
This Lamb with Pistachio and Green Olive Tabouli and Creamed Cauliflower is definitely 5 star restaurant quality. Looks elegant and love the flavor combination. I trusted you when you say it’s easy to prepare and I’ll definitely give this a try.
I would have been terrified of those late night visitors. Drunk men are not always harmless. But it’s amazing what we put up with when we are young and still innocent.
I love the simplicity of this dish and lamb is always good,
Great recipe Tania. I love reading your travel stories, Croatia is on my to do list.
I’ve wanted to visit the beautiful Croatian coast for a while. The other things you mentioned I wouldn’t enjoy. But it was adventurous times for you:) Your lamb has got my mouth watering! I love this unique recipe of yours Tania. Thanks so much for sharing it, it’s being saved for the rare occasion of finding lamb.
I don’t eat lamb, but the tabouli with olives and pistachios looks wholesome!
It sounds cool and scary all at once Tania! Was it worth it- do you look back now and laugh or are you still requiring therapy for Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome? 🙂
Can I please come over for dinner, this just looks so great- I’ll bring my own quinoa instead of cous cous though 🙂
that pistachio tabouli looks amazing!
I love this recipe and am trying it soon. amore Stefano
What a fabulous looking dish!