Bulgur Wheat Salad with Pink-Seared Lamb

Following the package instructions, cover the bulgur wheat with water and leave to steep as directed.

Either on a griddle or in a frying pan, sear the lamb over high heat, and then turn down and let cook for about 10 minutes, by which time the meat should still be a soft, velvet pink within. When cooked, set aside until the salad is ready; you want the lamb warm rather than hot, in any case.

Now back to the salad. Chop the cilantro and mint. If you promise not to run it for long, you can use the food processor. Avoid reducing the herbs to wet mush: its better to have the leaves left relatively large. Finely slice the scallions and seed the chilli and chop it very finely, too. Take half the zucchini and peel it and dice it into very small pieces.

Drain the bulgur wheat in a sieve when it tastes tender and push and squeeze as much water out as possible. Pour over the juice of 4 limes and all the olive oil. Add salt and pepper and toss well, either with your hands or a couple of forks. Reserve a small handful of the chopped cilantro and mint and throw the remainder of the chopped herbs, chilli, scallions and zucchini into the dressed bulgur wheat and mix deftly. Taste to see if you need more lime juice (or indeed anything else). Arrange on the biggest dish you can find and then thinly slice the lamb and place it on top, in the center. Get the vegetable peeler and shave thin slices from the remaining zucchini and scatter these, along with the handful of reserved herbs, on top.