Lamb with Cous Cous, Red Wine Cranberries, and Mint Oil

Here was another dish that was composed live for the same evening reception. The lamb was from New Zealand and roasted to perfection. The cous cous was poached in saffron vegetable stock and seasoned with a chiffonade of freshly chopped parsley. The cranberries were stewed in red wine, pink peppercorns, cinnamon, and sugar until the mixture had thickened. For the mint oil, we brought a pot of water to a boil and dip the sprigs in for about 15 seconds with a handful of spinach leaves. After shocking in a bath of ice water and squeezing dry, it was pureed in a blender with canola oil until smooth. The mint oil was strained through a fine mesh sieve until all impurities were removed. The result was a beautiful green oil that tasted of fresh mint to garnish our lamb dish.