For the beetroot purée – place the beets in a pot, cover with apple juice and a large pinch of salt and pepper. Place over a medium heat and simmer for 1 hour or until the beets can be easily penetrated with a knife. Strain, reserving the cooking liquid, and allow to cool slightly before peeling. Place the beets into a food processor or blender and mix, slowly adding some of the cooking liquid until it forms a smooth purée. Season to taste and set aside.
For the lamb – preheat an oven to 150°C. Place a heavy-based, oven-proof pan over a medium heat with a splash of oil. Season the meat with salt and pepper and place into the pan, fat-side down, for 4 minutes to caramelise. Move the pan into the oven and cook for 20 minutes. Rest for 5 minutes before serving.
Meanwhile – heat a grill or griddle pan and char-grill the zucchini for 2 minutes on one side only. In a bowl, combine the warm zucchini with the zucchini flower petals, lentils and mint leaves. Add the olive oil and lemon juice, combine and season to taste.
To serve – warm the beetroot purée in a small pot on a medium heat. Smear onto plates and place a portion of lamb on top. Add the zucchini salad, a few pieces of goat’s cheese and finish with currants and pine nuts.
4 x 200g lamb racks
2 tablespoons pine nuts, toasted
250g soft goat’s cheese
1 zucchini, thinly sliced lengthways
petals of 2 zucchini flowers
1 handful young mint leaves
¼ cup currants, soaked
1 cup green lentils, cooked
75ml olive oil
juice of 1 lemon
salt and pepper
beetroot purée
2 large beetroots
apple juice