Lamb rump with fregula and olive salad

For the Fregula

1. Bring a large saucepan of water to the boil, add fine sea salt then fregula and boil for around 6 minutes until tender or al dente, Strain well, toss with a little of the oil and spread out on a tray. Refrigerate until cold. Meanwhile, combine remaining ingredients in a large bowl to make a dressing. When the fregula is cold, toss through the dressing, cover and set aside at room temperature.

For the Lamb

1. Remove lamb from the fridge 1 hour before cooking. Cover and set aside in a cool place to come to room temperature. Preheat oven to 200°C. Season lamb well with salt.
2. Heat an ovenproof frying pan over a medium-high heat. Add oil and, when hot, add the lamb and cook on each side for about 3 minutes, until browned all over. Place pan in oven for 15 minutes, until a meat thermometer shows 54°C (for medium). Remove from oven (but don’t turn oven off), cover dish loosely with foil and set aside to rest for 20 minutes.
3. Remove foil from lamb and return to oven for 4 minutes. Divide fregula between 4 shallow bowls. Remove lamb from oven and slice lengthways (with the grain) into 4 or 5 slices and plate with fregula. Place frying pan over a high heat to boil the cooking juices, stir in some pepper, then drizzle over the meat. Garnish with a few rosemary leaves.

 Recipe by Giovanni Pilu

1. When choosing your lamb rump, look for a rump that is plump and lean with a layer of fat.
2. If you don’t have a meat thermometer you can feel the lamb to see if it’s cooked. Medium rare is soft to the touch, medium is springy and medium well is firm.
3. If you don’t like olives, try replacing them with currants, slivered almonds or roasted peppers, finely diced.