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Warm Lamb Salad with Potatoes, Asparagus and Requesón Cheese

Warm Lamb Salad with Potatoes, Asparagus and Requesón Cheese

By OcadoLifePublished on 27 February 2023For a real taste of rural Spain, chef and restaurateur José Pizarro recommends his recipe for Warm Lamb Salad with Potatoes, Asparagus and Requesón Cheese. “It’s full of flavours that remind me of home. Similar to ricotta, requesón is made by curdling unhomogenised milk to create a soft, creamy cheese,” he says. When making the requesón you’ll have whey lef tover – don’t throw it away! Try adding to bread dough instead of water or milk for a lovely tang. Looking for more lamb recipes? Look no further.
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Time and servings

50 minsTotal time
6Servings
10 minsPrep time
40 minsCooking time

Ingredients

  • 2 lemons, juiced, plus ½ juiced for the dressing
  • 4 lamb loin fillets or neck fillets (approx. 800g)
  • 750 g of new potatoes
  • 4 oregano sprigs (approx.), leaves stripped
  • 1 tsp of sweet smoked paprika
  • 2 tbsp of olive oil
  • 1 handful of flat-leaf parsley, chopped
  • 500 g of asparagus, trimmed
  • 2 tsp of sweet vermouth or sweet apple vinegar
  • 2 tbsp of extra-virgin olive oil
  • 2 cloves
  • 1 tsp of whole black peppercorns, plus 1 tsp crushed
  • 1 l of unhomogenised whole milk
  • 1 large pinch of sea salt

Method

  • Step 1

    For the requesón, put the milk in a pan with the cloves, 1 tsp whole peppercorns and the sea salt; heat to almost boiling (85°C on a kitchen thermometer, if you have one). Remove from the heat, stir in the juice of 2 lemons and leave to stand for 10-15 mins, until the curds and whey have separated. Pour into a muslin-lined sieve (or use a clean, very thin tea towel) over a bowl and leave to drain for 30 mins. Discard the cloves and peppercorns.

  • Step 2

    Gently squeeze the muslin (or tea towel) to extract as much liquid as possible (this is the whey). Transfer the requesón to a bowl, then cover and chill until needed; you can make this 2-3 days in advance. (Keep the whey for other recipes, see intro.)

  • Step 3

    Preheat the oven to 200°C/180°C fan/gas 6. Put the lamb in a bowl with 1 tsp crushed peppercorns, the paprika and 2 tbsp olive oil and toss to coat. Season; set aside.

  • Step 4

    Put the potatoes in a pan of cold salted water and bring to the boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook for 12 mins or until tender, then drain.

  • Step 5

    Meanwhile, heat a large, heavy-based ovenproof pan over a high heat and sear the lamb for 2 mins on each side or until browned all over (if your cut has any fat on it, ensure that it’s nice and golden before moving onto the next step).

  • Step 6

    Scatter over the oregano; transfer the pan to the oven for 12-15 mins for perfectly pink lamb (or until cooked to your liking). Remove the lamb to a plate, cover loosely with foil and leave to rest while you finish the dish.

  • Step 7

    For the dressing, whisk the remaining lemon juice with the vermouth (or vinegar) and plenty of seasoning in a bowl. Whisk in the extra-virgin olive oil, then add the parsley. Halve or slice the boiled potatoes and toss in the dressing while still warm.

  • Step 8

    Blanch or steam the asparagus for 2-3 mins until tender, then add to the potatoes and dressing.

  • Step 9

    Spread out the warm potato and asparagus salad on a serving platter. Thickly slice the lamb and arrange on top, followed by a crumble of the requesón, a grinding of black pepper and an extra drizzle of oil.