Lamb cutlets with easy pickled cucumber

Crumbed lamb cutlets are one of my favourite things, and this is a delicious crumb with lots of different herbs in it. Here, they are served with really easy pickled cucumber.

Lamb cutlets with pickled cucumber. Credit: Everyday Gourmet with Justine Schofield.

• serves

  4

• prep

  15 minutes

• cook

  20 minutes

• difficulty

  Easy

Ingredients

• 8 lamb cutlets, flattened with a meat mallet
• ½ cup flour
• 2 eggs
• 2 cups panko breadcrumbs
• ½ bunch parsley, finely chopped
• ½ bunch mint, finely chopped
• 6 stalks thyme, leaves finely chopped
• 3 stalks rosemary, leaves finely chopped
• 1-½ litres canola oil

Danish cucumber pickle

• 2 continental cucumbers, finely sliced into discs
• 2 tbsp fine salt
• ½ cup white wine vinegar
• ½ cup castor sugar
• 3 bay leaves
• 1 tsp yellow mustard seeds
• 10 peppercorns

Standing time: 20 minutes. Pickling time: at least one hour.

Instructions

1. For the pickle, place the cucumber in a colander, add salt and toss, then leave to sit for 20 mins until soft. Wash well 2 to 3 times and drain. Mix the remaining pickle ingredients together in a bowl until all the sugar has dissolved then combine with the cucumber. Cover and place in the fridge for at least 1 hour (The pickle with keep for a few days, refrigerated, but is at its best when fresh and still a little crunchy).
2. For the lamb, place the flour in a bowl and season with salt and pepper. To another bowl add the eggs with a splash of water and whisk. Put the breadcrumbs, mint, parsley, thyme and rosemary in a large mixing bowl and mix well.
3. Place a lamb cutlet to coat in the flour mixture, then the egg and then breadcrumb mixture. Repeat the process.
4. Put the oil in a heavy base medium-large pot and heat to 180°C or use a deep fryer if you have one. Cook the lamb in batches of 2-3 at a time until golden brown. Drain well and serve with the pickles.

Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.