Roast loin of lamb, peas, lettuce and bacon

Roast lamb accompanied by peas, mint and lettuce, this recipe captures Spring's sweetness and freshness.

Ingredients

• 2 loins of lamb, boned, weighing 600g in total
• salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tbsp vegetable oil
• 2 rashers smoked streaky bacon, diced
• 1 onion, diced
• 500ml lamb stock
• 110g peas, cooked
• 50g butter
• 1 Little Gem lettuce, shredded
• 1 sprig mint

Preparation method

1. For the lamb, preheat the oven to 160C.
2. Season the lamb well with salt and pepper.
3. Place a heavy-based, oven-proof frying pan over a medium heat. When it is hot, add one tablespoon of the vegetable oil.
4. Put the lamb into the pan and colour it all over, turning it so that all sides brown evenly. Don’t rush this, the dish will have much more flavour and a deeper colour if you take your time.
5. Transfer the lamb, in the frying pan, to the oven, and bake for 8-10 minutes.
6. Remove the lamb from the oven, take it out of the frying pan and set aside to rest for 10-15 minutes.
7. In another frying pan over a medium heat, add the remaining vegetable oil and fry the bacon until crisp and golden-brown.
8. Add the chopped onion and cook for a further two minutes. Then pour over the lamb stock to cover the bacon and onion and bring to the boil.
9. Add the peas, butter, the lettuce and the mint, and season with salt and pepper to taste. Simmer for a minute or two until the lettuce is cooked.
10. To serve, slice the lamb, pour the pea, bacon and pesto mixture into a large bowl or individual serving dishes, and arrange the lamb slices on top.