Lamb with Anchovies and Thyme

Holidays mean more time for cooking.  Easter means lamb.  Now, I'm not an anchovy enthusiast.  It's not just they're super salty - it's the hairiness that gets me.  However, I tend to trust cookbooks from reputable cooks.  So I took a deep breath, crossed my fingers, and hoped this was another of those 'you have to taste it' cases.  Thankfully, it was (thanks Nigella!).  Any more anchovy and it would have been too much, but this level was acceptable, adding more of a salty overtone rather than an "I'm eating anchovies" blast.

Ingredients:
1 x 15mL tablespoon olive oil (I just estimated, as per normal - next time I'll use less; and, should be garlic oil but I don't have any)
2 boneless lamb leg steaks (approx. 100g each)
4 anchovy fillets (conveniently, one small tin of Always Fresh)
leaves from a few sprigs fresh thyme, approx. 1 teaspoonful
1/4 cup rose wine (or, if you want to be true to Nigella, martini or cinzano rosato)

Method:
Warm the oil in a heavy-based, non-stick frying pan and fry the lamb for about 2 minutes per side, or until they are done to your liking.
Remove the steaks to a board lined with foil and turn up the ends so any meat juices that run out are contained.
Off the heat, add the anchovy fillets to the pan and stir until they start to break up and begin melting into the pan. (Warning: this made the oil spit a lot!  Which is why I'll use less oil next time).  Put it back on the heat and, still stirring, add the thyme leaves.
Add the wine/vermouth and let it bubble up in the pan, then pour in the juices that have collected from the lamb.  Place the steaks on a couple of plates.  Let the sauce continue boiling until it's thickened - 30 seconds should do it - and pour it over the waiting steaks.  Eat immediately and with gusto.  That is, after taking some shots with different Hipstamatic combinations...

Seriously quick and easy (apart from protecting yourself from spitting anchovy oil).  And the aroma from the thyme is just delicious.  I wilted a heap of baby spinach as a side - and followed it with some Easter egg.  As there was only one of me eating, I had leftovers the next day for lunch - but as a salad with greens and sliced pear.  Yum.

Easter 2013

This year, Easter was mostly traditional for me.  There were a few twists though.

Hot Cross Buns.  I realised on Tuesday that I had to make my hot cross buns on Wednesday night - this is the earliest I've ever made them.  They weren't my best (not as fluffy as I like) but not bad.  On the plus side, my flour paste was the best yet.  I dispensed with any idea of this much flour to this much water, and just mixed some flour and water until the consistency was fairly thick.  Success!

Good Friday service.  I made a rookie mistake at the servers' meeting 2 weeks ago and sat opposite the head server and roster man.  So, I was directly in their lines of sight when they needed a server MC for the Good Friday midday eucharist.  I couldn't escape.  It turned out to be simpler than normal (plus) but there was a TV camera trained on me for a good portion of it (negative).  After the service I spent a few minutes alone in the pews, and decided that next year I would do the stations of the cross.

Good Friday evening.  Normally this is fairly quiet, but it was a friend's birthday so a night of dinner and Balderdash and Sequence turned it Not Quiet.  At all.

Saturday.  Seriously sleep-deprived, I still did my washing, gym, grocery shopping, had coffee, bought some household things like light bulbs and pillows at Kmart, some tidying, and did my first hill running session.  It was painful.  Nuff said.

Sunday.  Not able to make it to the dawn service, I woke up early to see the sun rise.  Then - yay!  No more penalised chocolate or alcohol consumption.  I went to church first though before lunch (with wine) and dessert (chilli chocolate and pistachio mousse) then seeing a friend (chocolate).  Once I've finished this post I'm going to eat an Easter egg.

Outfit #123 - Happy Easter

It's been a while since I've been at school on the last day of term.  So much excitement!  I wore green to celebrate.

Dress (as skirt): Jeanswest (op shop).  Top: Jacqui E (op shop).  Shoes: Target.  Earrings: Cose Belle.

I was so excited, I had to do a happy jump.

 It had been ages since I'd worn these earrings.  I nearly went with a green bracelet too but thought that might be a bit much.