Posts tagged lamb

Moroccan Lamb

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Moroccan Lamb

This is a knock out way to cook a leg of lamb. If you buy a good quality piece from a good butchers it will so tender and cut like butter every time. Served with some beautiful jeweled cous cous scattered with pomegranate seeds and toasted almonds, a fresh green avocado salad dressed with lemon and olive oil and some oiled and grilled pitta breads dusted in spicy sumac, it really is a fantastic exchange for a Sunday roast in the summer when the weather lets you down. However, preferably if the sun is out, this lamb is amazing on the BBQ where it gets that priceless charred outside!

Moroccan Lamb (Serves 8)

  • (2kg) Leg of lamb, boned and butterflied
  • 2 lemons, juice
  • 2 cloves garlic, crushed
  • Bunch of coriander, chopped
  • 1 red chilli, chopped
  • 4 tbsp olive oil
  • 2-3 tbsp Ras El Hanout
  1. Mix the marinade ingredients together in a large bowl adding Ras El Hanout to taste (the strength will depend on the brand you buy so add as much as you like). Massage the marinade into the butterflied lamb and then place into a large dish in the fridge overnight to tenderise.
  2. When ready to cook, preheat the oven to 180°C . Place the lamb in a baking tray or grill rack over a tray and cook for 45 minutes (medium) or 1 hour (well done). Leave to rest for at LEAST 20 minutes wrapped tightly in foil so that you can collect all the lovely juices and use them for pouring over the carved meat.
  3. Once rested, carve into thick slices and serve with the juices. I also made a minted oil as a nice dressing by blitzing a bunch of mint leaves with some olive oil and seasoning in a processor.

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Jeweled Bulgar Wheat Salad (Serves 4)

  • 120g bulgar wheat
  • 1 litre light vegetable stock
  • 1 pomegranate, seeds removed
  • 50g pistachios/flaked almonds
  • Bunch spring onions, chopped
  • 1 cucumber, diced
  • Small handful of chopped dried apricots
  • Large handful each of coriander, flat-leaf parsley, mint (and/or any other herbs you like)
  • 1 lime, zest and juice
  • 1 large or 2 small onions
  • 1 tsp ground cumin/ras el hanout
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  1. Simmer the bulgar wheat in the stock for about 10 minutes or so to loose its crunch. Drain and set aside to cool.
  2. In a dry frying pan or warm oven, toast the pistachios or flaked almonds for a few minutes. If using pistachios, chop roughly keeping fairly coarse.
  3. Cut the onion into half moons and fry in a little oil over a medium heat until softened and golden brown coloured and beginning to crisp. Season with salt, stir in the ground cumin/ras el hanout and remove from the heat. Stir into the wheat along with the lime zest and juice and season.
  4. Add the diced cucumber, spring onions and chopped apricots to the cooled bulgar wheat along with the chopped herbs (make sure the herbs are added when wheat has cooled to prevent them turning black). Add the nuts and pomegranate seeds but save a handful to scatter over the top for garnish.

This recipe could also be done with couscous and using any herbs, nuts or dried fruits etc that complement your other dishes! Serve with some grilled pitta breads if you like (recipe here)

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Rioja Lamb Shank with Mint Oil

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Rioja Lamb Shank with Mint Oil

 

 

Rioja lamb shank and mint oil 2

You barely need a fork for this one as it will fall willingly, obligingly and delicately off the bone and into your welcome mouths! The better the meat the nicer it will taste but any meat bought on the bone will guarantee you with added tenderness and benefit from slow cooking. The rich punchy red wine sauce craves and benefits from the fresh cleansing addition of a nice homemade mint oil.

Serves 2 generously

  • 2 lamb shanks
  • 2-3 large carrots, diced
  • 2 stick celery, diced
  • 1 onion, diced
  • 1 bay leaf
  • Bunch thyme, chopped
  • Bunch rosemary, chopped
  • 2 garlic cloves, sliced
  • 2 anchovies in oil
  • 350ml red wine (Rioja is optional)
  • Bunch of mint, leaves picked
  • Olive oil
  • (1 tbsp) white wine vinegar or to taste
  • Pinch of sugar
  • Salt and pepper
  1. Preheat the oven to 150°C.
  2. Heat a splash of olive oil in a heavy bottomed casserole dish or pan.Season your lamb shanks with salt and freshly ground pepper and brown on all sides for about 10minutes until caramelised and coloured. Reserve to a plate.
  3. Slowly sweat your chopped onion, carrot, celery and bay leaf with some seasoning for about 15 minutes in the same pan, using the lamb juices. You want to get lots of caramelisation on the vegetables after about 10 minutes.
  4. Add the chopped thyme, rosemary the bay leaf and the sliced garlic and continue to cook for about 5-10minutes more. Turn up the heat and add the chopped anchoives. Cook until melted into the mixture.
  5. Now add the wine and bubble away to de-glaze the bottom of the pan. Simmer for a few minutes before adding the reserved lamb shanks. Add as much boiling water or stock to come ¾ way up the sides of the lamb so it is sufficiently submerged
  6. Cover with a lid and place in the preheated oven for 3 hours, basting the lamb with the sauce occasionally.
  7. Meanwhile make the mint oil. In a food processor or pestle and mortar, crush the mint leaves with a pinch of salt and sugar. Slowly add a splash of white wine vinegar to taste and enough oil to loosen.
  8. After 3 hours, turn the heat to 180°C and remove the lid. You want to brown the top of the lamb and reduce the sauce a little for about 30 minutes but it will be ready whenever from this point. You can also thicken the sauce on the hob with a small knob of butter to add a shine to the sauce.
  9. Serve with creamy mash or polenta and the mint oil drizzled over the top!

Spicy Lamb Patties, Coconut Flatbreads, Lime yoghurt – Beer

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I love this type of food. Fresh, simple and filled with flavour this is one from the archive but is actually something I crave in the spring when the sun starts to shine! This looks like a long list but most of the ingredients will be in your pantry and all you need to do is simply throw them together! So when the Spring sun makes an appearance, take a little forage in the pantry for this perfect sharing-style meal for all your buddies with a couple of cold beers….

Spicy lamb patties

  • 500g lamb mince
  • 1 tsp flaky salt
  • 1 tsp cracked black pepper
  • ½ tsp cumin seed
  • 1tsp ground coriander
  • 1 tsp ras el hanout
  • 1-2 tsp smoked sweet paprika (depending on your hot levels)

Lime yoghurt

  • 250g thick Greek yoghurt
  • Handful of chopped mint, or coriander
  • Grated zest of 1 lime
  • 2 tbsp freshly squeezed lime juice
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • Salt and pepper

Coconut flatbreads

  • 250g plain flour
  • 150ml warm water
  • 1 tsp extra virgin olive oil
  • salt and pepper
  • Large handful of dessicated coconut
  1. Start with the lamb patties. Combine all the dry spices in a pestle and mortar and grind together.
  2. Using your hands, take golf ball sized pieces of lamb mince and roll in your hands and slightly flatten to form mini burger-like patties (alternatively make large burgers). Roll generously in the dry rub until coated and place on a plate. Continue until you have used up all the lamb and then cover the patties with cling film and chill.
  3. Now make the flatbread dough. Sieve out the flour and add the oil, seasoning and the dessicated coconut. Make a well in the centre and add the warm water.
  4. Using a fork, mix to combine until you have a dough. Tip out onto a lightly floured surface and knead briefly until it comes together.
  5. Place the dough ball in a floured bowl and cover with cling film to rest.
  6. Meanwhile make the yoghurt by combining all the ingredients and alter to taste with a bit more of anything you think it needs.
  7. Heat a large non-stick pan over a high heat and put on the extractor fan. Now, take walnut sized pieces of dough and roll out on a floured surface until you have about 6-8 flatbreads about 2mm thick. Fry over a high heat in a frying pan for a few minutes each side.They will puff up as they cook. If the heat gets to high and they char and burn before they are cooked through, turn the heat down a little. You just want a little charring and the coconut to toast. Complete with the remaining dough, wrapping them in a tea towel afterwards as you go to keep them warm and soft.
  8. Now heat some oil in the same pan over a high heat and fry the lamb patties for about 2-3 minutes each side until cooked through. The outside will look burnt but it will just be the spices charring and forming a crust for the juicy insides.

Serve the patties wrapped tightly in the warm flatbreads with the cool yoghurt and some fresh lemony dressed salad leaves in one small edible pouch.

Alternatively, I frequently cook this all on the barbeque in the summertime….imageimage

Turkish lamb-stuffed flatbreads with cacik

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Turkish lamb-stuffed flatbreads with cacik

These are like a Turkish inspired ‘pasty’ I’ve been meaning to attempt for ages from a long ago copy of Vogue’s ‘Entertaining and Travel’ magazine I picked up on my travels down under. They are like a lamb pasty but with a fresh, vibrant cooling yoghurt, called cacik which is a bit like tzatziki.

Makes 8 small or 6 larger pittas

  • 185g bread flour
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • ¼ tsp dried yeast
  • pinch of toasted and crushed cumin seeds,
  • Extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 onion, finely chopped
  • 500g minced lamb
  • 1 tsp ground allspice
  • 2 tsp ground cumin
  • 1 tsp chilli flakes
  • 50g tomato puree
  • 2 tbsp pomegranate molasses
  • 40g pie nuts, roasted
  • Bunch of coriander
  • 1 lemon, zest and wedges to serve

Cacik

  • 250g Greek yoghurt
  • 1 cucumber, peeled, seeded, finely chopped
  • 1 tbsp finely chopped dill
  • 1 tbsp chopped mint
  • ½ garlic clove, crushed
  • 1 lime, zest and juice
  1. Begin with the cacik by combining all the ingredients with some salt and pepper and chill until needed.
  2. For the flatbread dough, sift the flour, baking powder, yeast, a large pinch of salt and the cumin seed into a bowl. Make a well in the centre and add a splash of oil and 125ml of warm water and mix with a fork to form a dough. Turn out onto a floured surface and knead for about 5 minutes until elastic. Cover with cling film and leave to rest for 30 minutes.
  3. To make the lamb filling, heat a few tablespoons of oil in a pan and cook the onion until soft. Add the lamb and cook until browned. Add the spices, tomato puree, pomegranate molasses and 2 tbsp of water and cook for a few more minutes until fragrant.
  4. Add the pine nuts and a large handful of chopped coriander and the zest of 1 lemon.
  5. Preheat the oven to 200°C.
  6. Divide the dough into 6 or 8 pieces and role thinly onto a floured surface into a rough circle shape.
  7. Place 1/8 or 1/6 of the mixture onto one side of the dough and brush a little water around the outside. Fold over and press the edges together gently to seal, squashing the pitta down to flatten it if you can without breaking it. Repeat with the remaining mixture to make about 6-8 ‘pasties’.
  8. Heat a frying pan over a medium-high heat and heat a splash of olive oil. Fry the stuffed flatbreads, about 2 at a time, until golden. Place in the oven to keep warm and to heat through while you finish the rest.
  9. Scatter oven some extra coriander and serve with the cooling cacik and lemon wedges.

Made really small, these would make a great little canape or starter!

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