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Mint sauce just HAS to go with roast lamb. It seems to be a British tradition, and certainly while travelling in the US and Central American countries, it has been impossible to find. So, having come across a huge crop of fresh mint growing here in Ecuador, I have decided to make my own concentrated mint sauce, which hopefully will last for many months.. Makes 1 medium jar Preparation Time: 5 Minutes |
| 50 gm fresh mint, the tips are the most strongly flavoured | 75 gm sugar |
| 100 ml white wine vinegar |
Wash a jar and its lid well in soapy water, rinse in clean hot water and place in a low oven for 15 minutes to sterilise.
Place the vinegar and sugar in a pan and bring slowly to the boil (this will allow the sugar to dissolve before boiling point is reached).
Now you can either chop the mint leaves using a knife and then add to the hot vinegar or you can put the leaves in a food processor and add half the vinegar and pulse until finely chopped, then add to the rest of the vinegar (be careful with the hot vinegar).
Pour into the warm sterile jar and seal immediately.
When you want to serve with roast lamb, just use a teaspoon of the concentrate and mix with a little malt vinegar.
ALTERNATIVE
Sunday lunch at our house was nearly always roast lamb with all the trimmings. My job was to pick some mint that grew in a border at the side of the house, and make fresh mint sauce. Mum did all the rest.
mint sauce made fresh is infinitely better than out of a store bought jar, which is always far too vinegary and usually bright green and drowns the flavour of the lamb.
Prep: 5 minutes
handful fresh mint 1 teasp sugar 3 tblsp malt vinegar
Wash the mint, strip off any stalks, and chop the leaves finely. Place in a small serving bowl and stir in the sugar and vinegar, mixing well.
Serve with a roasted shoulder of best Welsh or New Zealand lamb.