These cutlets are oh-so tender, sweet and spicy. The trick is to gently poach them in a spice infused milk, then quickly grill until browned and sizzling. They are ideal to serve as a share plate, as the bones make them easy to pick up. Just add a sprinkle of sea salt and squeeze of lime juice, to eat.

The recipe takes no longer than prepping crumbed cutlets, and if you don’t stock whole spices in your pantry, substitute the list of spices with a tablespoon of garam masala (fresh new packet). It’s been tested, the outcome is not as full flavoured as using whole spices, but it’s a close second.

serves 3-4

8 lamb cutlets

1 teaspoon cumin seeds

1 teaspoon coriander seeds

½ teaspoon black peppercorns

6 cardamom pods, gently crushed to split pod

6 cloves

1 cinnamon stick

500ml (2 cups) milk

1 small onion peeled and quartered

¼ cup natural yoghurt

1 teaspoon sea salt

½ teaspoon turmeric

2 teaspoon garam masala

¼ teaspoon chilli (optional)

limes, quartered for serving

Trim the cutlets of excess fat and scrape the bone ends clean with the blade edge of a sharp knife.

Place the cumin and coriander seeds in a large saucepan over a low-medium heat and dry-roast until aromatic, about a minute, tossing occasionally.

Add the remaining spices, milk and onion to the saucepan over a medium-high heat and bring to a boil, (watching carefully not to boil over). Add the cutlets in a single layer and bring milk quickly back to a simmer, then immediately turn off the heat. Cover with lid, leave the cutlets for 10 minutes, then turn over and leave for another 10 minutes. Remove the cutlets and pat dry with paper towel. Discard the milk mixture.

Meanwhile, combine the yoghurt, salt, turmeric and garam masala. Rub the paste over the cutlets, using a pastry brush makes the job easy.

Pre-heat a grill over high heat. Grill cutlets until golden brown, about a minute each side. Serve immediately with the lime quarters to squeeze juice over.

Tip: To avoid the whole spices sticking to cutlets while cooking in the milk mixture, you can create a muslin parcel of spices to infuse flavours into the milk, instead. Lay flat a 20cm square piece of muslin or clean ‘Chux’ type cloth, then place the cumin, coriander, peppercorns, cardamom and cloves in the centre, and bring the edges together to tie into a secure bundle to hold the spices. Drop this into the milk with the onion and cinnamon then discard after cooking.

Recipe by Fiona Hammond, July 2021

SPICED LAMB CUTLETS POACHED IN MILK