Ingredients

• 250g/9oz hot pepper paste or gochugang (Korean chilli bean paste; available from Asian supermarkets)
• 75ml/3fl oz sake
• 25ml/1fl oz soy sauce
• 75ml/3fl oz mirin (available from Asian supermarkets)
• pinch dried chilli
• 40g/1½oz garlic paste (available from Asian supermarkets)
• or four garlic cloves
• pounded to a paste
• 40g/1½oz ginger paste (available from Asian supermarkets)
• or thumb-sized piece of ginger
• pounded to a paste
• 2 tsp toasted sesame oil
• 4 x 4 bone lamb racks
• French cut (ask your butcher to prepare this for you)
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tbsp toasted sesame seeds
• 60g/2½oz sesame paste or tahini
• 10g/½oz sweet white miso (available from Asian supermarkets and health food shops)
• 1 tsp ginger juice (grate the ginger and squeeze to collect the juice)
• 3 tbsp dashi stock (dried sachets of dashi are available from Asian supermarkets
• add the appropriate amount of water
• following packet instructions)
• 2 tsp rice vinegar
• 1½ tsp lemon juice
• 2 tsp sesame oil
• 500g/1lb2oz spinach leaves
• 1 tsp chopped yama gobo/Japanese burdock root (available from Asian supermarkets)

Directions

• For the lamb
• place the hot pepper paste
• sake
• soy
• mirin
• dried chilli
• garlic
• ginger and toasted sesame oil into a bowl and whisk together to form a smooth paste.
• Wrap the lamb bones in small pieces of tin foil and pinch tight to prevent them burning.
• Lightly brush the lamb racks with half of the hot pepper marinade (reserving the rest for later) and place the lamb onto a tray. Transfer to the fridge to marinate overnight
• preferably for 24 hours. Allow to return to room temperature before cooking.
• Preheat the oven to 180C/365F/Gas 4.
• Heat a large ovenproof frying pan until hot and add the olive oil and marinated lamb. Cook on each side until golden-brown all over
• then brush all over with some more of the marinade (reserve a little marinade for serving).
• Transfer to the oven and cook for 10-12 minutes
• or until cooked to your liking. Remove from the oven and leave to rest in a warm place for five minutes.
• For the sesame spinach
• place the sesame seeds
• sesame paste
• sweet white miso
• ginger juice
• dashi stock
• rice vinegar
• lemon juice and sesame oil into a bowl and whisk together to combine.
• Heat a frying pan until hot
• then add the spinach and cook until just wilted.
• Add the yama gobo and the sesame dressing mixture and mix to combine.
• To serve
• spoon the sesame spinach into the centre of each plate in a neat pile. Slice the lamb rack into chops and place four onto each plate
• arranged over the spinach. Add a little of the remaining marinade to each plate and serve.