Lamb & Aubergine Salad With Chick Peas & Roasted Tomatoes
Instructions
1 To roast the tomatoes, put them cut side up in a shallow ovenproof dish lined with parchment paper. (A jelly-roll tin is ideal.) Sprinkle with a little sugar, then season with a little sea salt, freshly ground coriander seeds and lemon pepper. Drizzle with a little lemon oil or olive oil. Bake in an oven preheated to 425F for 15 minutes, or until tomatoes are just starting to char around the edges and starting to collapse.
2 To make the salad, cut eggplant lengthways into long thin slices. Put a little oil on a large plate and dunk eggplant slices one at a time in the oil, letting excess oil drip off. Transfer them to a barbecue grill rack heated to medium. Cook quickly until tender, golden and lightly charred around the edges; you'll need to move the slices around often as they cook to prevent scorching. Transfer eggplant slices to a clean plate as they are done and season with sea salt. Repeat with remaining eggplant slices. Alternatively, cook eggplant slices in a ridged skillet over mediumhigh heat.
3 Put rosemary sprigs in a shallow dish with 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Trim lamb, removing silvery skin. Add to dish and turn to coat it in the oil and rosemary. Grind over a little black pepper. Cook lamb on a preheated barbecue hot plate or griddle over medium heat for 23 minutes each side. It should be nicely brown but remain mediumrare inside; it will continue to cook as it stands before slicing. Transfer to a board and sprinkle generously with salt. Let lamb rest at least 5 minutes before slicing. Alternatively, cook lamb in a ridged skillet over mediumhigh heat.
4 Toss chickpeas in a small bowl with garlic and lemon juice and extra-virgin olive oil, adding a pinch or two of salt and a good grinding of black pepper.
5 Divide arugula between 6 serving bowls and distribute eggplant slices over the top. Slice lamb, then let it rest for a few minutes before adding to the bowls with chickpeas and all the garlicky juices, tomatoes, feta if using, and olives. Toss each salad very gently, then garnish with lemon wedges and serve.
