Herb-crusted lamb steak with aubergine, tomato and chickpea stew

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 200C/400F/Gas 6.

2. To make the herb-crusted lamb steak, place the rye bread, thyme, parsley, salt and freshly ground black pepper into a small food processor and pulse until it forms crumbs.

3. Heat a griddle pan until hot. Rub the lamb steak in the olive oil, season with salt and freshly ground black pepper and place in the hot griddle pan. Fry the lamb on both sides for three minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside to rest for three minutes.

4. Spread the hummus on one side of the griddled lamb, press the herb crumb mixture on top and transfer the lamb steak to a non-stick baking sheet. Place in the oven for 4-5 minutes, or until the crust is golden-brown and the lamb is cooked to your liking. Remove from the oven and set aside to rest for 2-3 minutes before serving.

5. To make the stew, heat one tablespoon of the olive oil in a medium-sized saucepan and add the onion. Sauté until softened but not coloured.

6. Add the garlic to the saucepan and sauté gently for a further one minute.

7. In a separate pan, heat the remaining one tablespoon of olive oil and add the aubergine. Fry for five minutes, or until golden-brown on all sides.

8. Add the aubergine to the onions and garlic, then add the drained cherry tomatoes and chickpeas and cook for a further three minutes.

9. Stir in the chopped parsley to the pan and season well with salt and freshly ground black pepper.

10. To serve, spoon the stew onto a plate and top with the herb-crusted lamb steak.