Comfort Food Friday: Roast rump of Scotch Lamb, za’atar and crowdie pastillas for St Andrew’s Day

By Rebecca Shearer

November 26 2021, 11:45 am

Scotch lamb.

There are plenty of different Scottish dishes out there for foodies to enjoy on St Andrew’s Day.

And if you usually have a lamb roast on November 30 then you’ve come to the right place.

Scots are being encouraged to have more Scotch Lamb on the menu this festive season, with the recipe below created specially for the day of our nation’s patron saint.

Last year there was an almost 10% increase in the number of Scots eating lamb on St Andrew’s Day.

Devised by Perth chef Graeme Pallister, this roast lamb za’atar and crowdie pastillas will serve two people and is relatively easy to make.

St Andrews Day roast rump of Scotch Lamb, Blackthorn salt za’atar and crowdie pastillas

Serves 2

Ingredients

2 x 6oz Scotch Lamb rump portions, trimmed of excess fat, removed from fridge
30 mins before cooking.
2 tbsp of crowdie in a bowl
4 mint leaves shredded
4 samosa wraps or filo pastry sheets
2 tsp plain flour
1 tbsp sesame seeds

For the za’atar:

1 tbsp of cumin (toasted in a dry pan till fragrant)
1 tbsp sumac
Half tsp of Blackthorn sea salt flakes
1 tbsp oregano
Sprigs of rosemary, thyme and 2 garlic cloves
Selection of greens such as spinach and kale blanched in boiling salted water
50g of butter
2 tbsp of light olive oil or virgin pressed rapeseed oil
1 tbsp of wine vinegar

Method

Preheat oven 160C Fan/180C/350F/Gas Mark 4.
Start by preheating a solid-based frying pan, season the lamb lightly with salt and pepper before adding a little cooking oil to the pan and brown the lamb on all sides.
Place the lamb on an oven tray with the rosemary, thyme and garlic and place in the oven for 10 minutes until cooked to your liking.
Tip some of the excess cooking oils into the crowdie and reserve the pan. Fold in the shredded mint. Combine the flour with 2 tsp of water to make a paste.
Using the samosa wrappers, place
a spoonful of crowdie on one corner
of each of the wrappers and fold several times keeping a triangular shape, paint the final corner with the paste before sealing the pastilla.
In a non-stick pan with a splash of oil, brown the samosas on each side, keep warm by placing a loose piece of tinfoil over them.

To make the za’atar:

Combine the toasted cumin seeds, sumac, Blackthorn salt flakes and
the oregano in a bowl and reserve for later.
Remove the lamb from oven and allow it to rest for 5-10 minutes, collect the juices and combine them with rapeseed oil and vinegar, season to taste to complete the sauce.
Warm the greens in the reserved pan you sealed the lamb in ready for serving.

To serve: