Lamb Fillets with Chargrilled Eggplant and Garlic Sauce

Full of protein and flavour and looks amazing. Eggplant and lamb are an amazing combination.

 4 firm baby eggplantscut lengthways into 5mm-thick slices
 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
 480 g lamb fillets
 1 cup mint leaves
 120 g natural yoghurt
 2 cloves garlicfinely chopped
 1 lemonjuice
 2 tbsp baby capersrinsed, drained
 Salt and pepper to season

What are we cooking today?
1

This dish can be a meal or even a salad to take to a bbq. It's a great go-to meal.

Getting started
2

Brush eggplant with a little oil and season with pepper. Heat a large chargrill pan or large frypan on high heat.

3

Cook eggplant, in batches, for 1-2 minutes each side until slightly charred. Remove and keep warm.

4

Brush the lamb fillets with the remaining oil and season with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper.

5

Heat the same chargrill or frypan over medium-high heat and cook the lamb in batches, turning, for 6 minutes for medium-rare (or until cooked to your liking). Cover the lamb loosely with foil and leave to rest for 3 minutes.

6

Roughly chop half the mint leaves and place in a bowl with yoghurt, garlic, lemon juice and capers. Stir to combine, then season to taste with salt and pepper.

7

Slice lamb and arrange on plates with the eggplant.

8

Drizzle with yoghurt sauce and scatter with remaining mint leaves.

Annabelle's tips
9

In choosing the best eggplant, look for an eggplant with tight, unblemished skin. Pick it up and give it a gentle squeeze. Eggplant should feel heavy for its size and be free of soft spots.

There is a long standing myth that eggplant must be salted before cooking to remove bitterness. Modern eggplant has been bred to have less bitterness, and salting is not required to that end.