Spiced Lamb Mince Lettuce Cups with Chilli & Fresh Herbs

Ingredients

• 500 g lamb mince
• 2 tbsp garlic-infused olive oil
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp ground coriander
• 0.5 tsp chilli flakes
• 2 tbsp tamari
• 1 lime, juiced
• 2 little gem lettuces, leaves separated
• 1 long red chilli, thinly sliced
• 15g fresh mint, leaves picked
• 15g fresh coriander, roughly chopped
• 3 spring onions, green tops only, finely sliced
• Steamed jasmine rice, to serve
• Pickled cucumber, to serve

Method

1. Drain the cooked red lentils thoroughly and pat the lamb mince dry — water means steam, and steam means no browning. Season the mince generously with salt and pepper before it hits the pan.
2. Heat the garlic-infused oil in a wok or heavy frying pan over a high heat until it shimmers. Add the lamb in two batches — all at once and the pan crowds, water comes out, and you've boiled the meat instead of browning it. Break it up with a wooden spoon and cook for 4–5 minutes per batch until properly browned with crisp dark edges.
3. Return all the lamb to the pan with the drained lentils. Push everything to one side, add a touch more oil if the pan looks dry, then tip in the cumin, ground coriander and chilli flakes. Bloom the spices in the oil for 30–60 seconds until fragrant — raw spices taste dusty; bloomed spices taste of themselves. Stir through the mince to coat.
4. Pour in the tamari and the lime juice. Toss for a minute until the liquid clings to the meat and the pan looks glossy, not dry. Taste — most of the salt comes from the tamari, but a final pinch and a crack of pepper ties it together. Adjust now, not at the table.
5. Arrange the little gem leaves on a platter, cup-side up. Spoon the hot spiced lamb generously into each leaf, then scatter over the sliced red chilli, spring onion greens, mint and coriander. Finish with the toasted sesame seeds and tuck the lime wedges around the platter for squeezing at the table — serve straight away while the lamb is still hot against the cool, crunchy lettuce.