Lamb Steaks Provençale

Directions
Prep:10min  ›  Cook:15min  ›  Ready in:25min 

1. Cook the vegetables: Heat the oil, reserving about 2 tsp, in a deep frying pan and add the onion, pepper, courgettes, fennel, garlic and herbs. Cook over a medium heat, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes or until softened and lightly browned.
2. Cook the lamb: While the vegetables are cooking, brush the lamb steaks lightly with the remaining oil and season lightly. Cook, turning once, on a hot heavy-based frying pan for 5-8 minutes, depending on thickness, until slightly pink in the centre. Remove from the heat.
3. Finish the sauce: Add the tomatoes and tapenade to the vegetables, then simmer for a further 3-4 minutes or until softened. Add the lamb steaks to the vegetables, then serve.

Swaps

Instead of herbes de Provence, use 2-3 tsp fennel seeds to give the dish a warm, aniseed flavour. *For tapenade, use 6-8 stoned black olives, roughly chopped, and stir into the dish, or add 2 tbsp basil pesto instead.

…get ahead

The vegetables can be cooked in advance, cooled and stored covered in the fridge. You'll find the flavours actually improve with a few hours' keeping. Eat within two days. They can be served cold or reheated gently until boiling.

…another idea

Moroccan lamb: Cook the vegetables as step 1, but replace the herbs with 1 tsp harissa paste. Cook the lamb as the basic recipe. Omit the tomatoes and tapenade for the sauce, and add 8 quartered ready-to-eat dried apricots with 250ml fresh orange juice. Simmer for 3-4 minutes. Stir in 3 tbsp chopped fresh coriander. Serve with couscous.