Nigel Slater's Lamb With Mustard and Coconut Recipe

The recipe

Spoon 160 ml of coconut cream into a shallow bowl. Add 2 tsp of ground coriander, 2 level tbsp of black mustard seeds and a grinding of black pepper. Peel 2 cloves of garlic and chop finely. Peel a thumb-sized piece of ginger and shred it, matchstick style, then stir, together with the chopped garlic, into the coconut cream. Roll 6 lamb cutlets in the coconut cream and leave for 15 minutes.

Heat a griddle pan or overhead grill and cook the cutlets until lightly golden brown. Expect quite a bit of smoke. Shred 300g of Savoy or other dark-leaved cabbage, then fry quickly in a little butter or oil. Serves 2.

The trick

Small cutlets do not need to marinate for long - 20 minutes will do. Choose quite lean ones when grilling, to avoid too much smoke. Let the bones brown and even char a little - they are good to pick up and eat. Use thick coconut cream in tins. If you want to use the thick variety in packets, then moisten it with a little boiling water first.

The twist

Pork cut into thick finger-like strips can be substituted for the lamb. Add a few cumin seeds, about 1 tsp, to the spices. Include a little chopped spring onion or fine shallot. Use thick yogurt instead of the coconut cream. Serve with coriander roughly chopped.
Email Nigel at nigel.slater@observer.co.uk

Let the bones brown and even char a little - they are good to pick up and eat": Nigel Slater on lamb cutlets. Photograph: Jonathan Lovekin for the Observer