Lamb Curry

I had been trying to make this curry for weeks! But everything was working against me as things kept coming up, people kept cancelling or time did not permit! But I'd seen the photo in my Marie Claire cookbook and knew I had to make it! It just looked so tasty! And so last night was the night! I bought all the ingredients, and prepared the kitchen - and then read the method and realised the meat needed to marinate for three hours!! By this stage it was 4pm! I wanted it on the table before midnight!! So I opted to marinate for an hour and a half and it was still so lovely. The recipe also asks for 2 teaspoons of garam masala but I added about a tablespoon. Two teaspoons just didnt seem enought to me....

In the end it was absolutely lovely. And I think my photo turned out looking very similar to the one in the cookbook - without all the arty farty talent that their photographer obviously had! Andy said it was the best curry I've ever made! (I've only made 5 mind you...) But still, a compliment. Very quick and easy to get it all in the pot and mixed together (once the 3 hours of marinating is over that is), and the result is very much worth it!

1kg Lamb shoulder, trimmed and cut into cubes

3 tablespoons olive oil

juice of 2 lemons

1 tablespoon finely grated fresh ginger

2 teaspoons garam masala

2 onions, finely chopped

400g chopped tomatoes

2 tablespoons tomato paste

3 green chillis, seeded and cut into strips

250ml beef stock

10 mint leaves, finely chopped

300g plain yoghurt

steamed basmati to serve

Put the lamb cubes into a large ceramic dish and add 2 tablespoons of the oil, the lemon juice, ginger and garam masala. Massage teh ingredients into the lamb to ensure it is well coated. Cover with plastic wrap and allow to marinate for 3 hours in the refrigerator.

Heat the remaining oil in a large heavy based saucepan and add the onion. Cook for a few minutes until the onion is soft then add the lamb - depending on the size of your pan you may need to cook the lamb in two separate batches. Cook for several minutes until browned. Add teh tomato, tomato paste, chilli and stock and return the rest of the lamb to the pan if necessary. Allow to simmer, stirring occasionally over a low heat for 1 1/2 hours, or until the liquid has reduced and the lamb is coated in a rick, thick sauce.

Meanwhile, stir the mint leaves into the yoghurt. Serve the lamb spooned over steamed rice with a dollop of minty yoghurt. Serves 4

E.

Slow Cooked Lamb Shanks

I went back to my parents fabulous olive grove in the Clare Valley... again, on the weekend. Had a wonderful, relaxing, rather drunk time. I was on cooking duty on Friday night and dad and I decided Lamb Shanks would be the go. I had taken all my cookbooks with me and we went through them and searched for the lamb shank recipe we fancied the most! In the end dad won out as he wanted the shanks with the most spice and flavour. Mum wanted veg and I wanted sauce! In the end I think we all got what we wanted.

The smell, flavour and texture of these shanks is unbeatable. Mum has decided to cook the same meal for all of her friends who are coming over for a dinner party this weekend; and I bought a few extra shanks when I was purchasing these, so Andy will be having shanks for dinner tomorrow night. And I truly can't wait!

4 lamb shanks

sea salt & freshly ground black pepper

1 teaspoon coriander seeds

2 teaspoons dried chilli

1 tablespoon fresh rosemary

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1 tablespoon flour

2 tablespoon olive oil

1 clove of garlic, finely chopped

2 large carrot, quartered & finely sliced

5 sticks of celery, quartered & finely sliced

2 medium onions, quartered & finely chopped

2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

170ml dry white wine

6 anchovy fillets

2 x 400g tins of plum tomatoes

1 handful of fresh flat leaf parsley, roughly chopped

Season the lamb with salt & pepper. Smash up the coriander seeds & dried chilli & mix with rosemary & dried oregano in a mortar and pestle. Roll the lamb in this mixture, pressing it well. Dust the lamb with the flour.

Heat a thick bottomed casserole pan, add the oil, brown the meat on all sides & then remove from the pan. Add the garlic, carrot, celery, onions & a pinch of salt and sweat until softened. Add the vinegar & allow it to reduce to a syrup. Pour in the wine & allow to simmer for 2 minutes. Add the anchovies & tinned tomatoes, kept whole. Shake the pan & return the lamb to it. Bring to the boil, put on a lid & simmer in the oven at 180 degrees for 2 hours. Remove lid & cook for a further half an hour. Season to taste & stir in the fresh parsley.

E.

Persian Lamb

So, the tagine needs to be conquered. I spent hours looking for recipes and not a lot excited me.
There seem to be a few staple recipes and that’s about it.

Not enough of a challenge for me. I looked further than my usual online resources, in the bookshop, and was still disappointed. I wanted something exciting, different and challenging.

I didn’t really get there, but this is what I created for friends on the weekend. It was very easy to prepare.

Everyone went back for more, so that’s always a good indication.

700g lamb shoulder, diced

big glug of olive oil

2 brown onions, diced

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1 tsp ground cumin

4 cardamom pods, crushed

1 tsp salt

375ml chicken stock

110g pitted prunes, chopped
1 tsp caster sugar

juice of 2 limes

¼ tsp saffron threads, dissolved in 1 tablespoon boiling water

400g butternut pumpkin, but into large chunks

1 handful mint, roughly chopped

roasted almonds or pistachios, to garnish

Preheat the oven to 150 degrees.

Heat the oil in the tagine base (or heavy-based saucepan). Add the lamb in batches stir over medium to high heat until browned. Remove from the pan and put aside.

Add a little extra oil to the pan if need be, with the onion and fry for a couple of minutes to soften. Add the spices and salt and stir for 1 minute.

Add the stock, keeping in mind not to overfill the tagine.

Add the lamb, prunes, sugar, lime juice and saffron water, put the top on the tagine and place in preheated oven for 2 to 3 hours. (Or, if using a pot on the stove, bring up to a simmer, cover for 1 hour, stirring occasionally).

In the last hour, I added the pumpkin. I put the pumpkin in too early I think, it cooked down a little too much, so maybe half an hour would do.

When the lamb is tender, remove from heat and add the mint and toasted almonds and stir through.

I roasted a tin of chickpeas tossed in salt, pepper, lemon and paprika for 5 minutes and stirred them through some prepared couscous with extra lemon.

S

French Onion Chops

My mother in law cooked these for me years ago and I was blown away at how yummy they are! My first attempt at cooking them, about one week after she did, was a complete failure as I forgot to cover them with alfoil! Tonight I wasnt going to make that same mistake!

According to my mum, this dish was huge in the 1960's....?

I am not a fan of french onion soup at all! But I do love the flavour of the packet soup mix! Whether it is through a potato bake or on these delightful chops, it adds so much flavour! The chops end up so tender, its as if you've been cooking them for hours! Melt in your mouth goodness!

4 fourquarter premium chops

2 packets French Onion Soup mix

Olive oil spray

Your favourite veg to serve

Cover the bottom of a baking tray with alfoil. Spray with olive oil. Sprinkle a packet of French Onion Soup mix over the bottom of the tray and place the chops on top. Sprinkle the top of the chops with the other packet of soup mix. Cover the tray with alfoil making a "tent" for the chops. Leave room for the steam to circulate. Place in the oven for an hour and a half. Serve with your favourite veg.

E.

Lamb Shanks

I originally took this recipe from a Jamie Oliver Show. It is so simple but has so much flavour! I think its the balsamic that really gives it kick. After three hours the meat just falls straight off the bone. Its really so simple! Once you put it in the oven you don't need to touch it again until you're ready to eat. The meat is so tender that you almost can't tell the difference between the mash and the meat! Its all so soft and melt in your mouth...

4 lamb shanks
2 carrots
2 sticks celery peeled
1 brown onion
2 tins chopped Italian tomatoes
1 tablespoon coriander seeds
3 sprigs rosemary
1 tablespoon dried chilli
1 tablespoon plain flour
4 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 cup white wine
2 tins chopped tomato

Salt & Pepper
Olive oil
Mashed potato

Using pestle and mortar, bash up coriander seeds, dried chilli, a decent few pinches of salt and pepper. Add one-tablespoon plain flour and mix together well. Coat the lamb shanks in this mix.

Cover the bottom of a saucepan with oil and fry off the lamb shanks until they are golden. Set them aside.

Using the same oil that the shanks were cooked in, add the chopped onion and fry off for a few moments then add finely chopped carrot and celery. Then add a few decent pinches of salt and pepper. Add the whole sprigs of rosemary. Add four tablespoons of balsamic and cook it off until the liquid is quite reduced. Then add white wine and cook again until it reduces. Add the two tins of tomatoes and stir through.

Place the lamb shanks in the bottom of a baking dish and pour the sauce over the top. Cover and cook in oven at 180º for around 3 hours.

Serve on a bed of mashed potato.

E.

Spinach and Lamb Curry

I keep finding with these Mistress of Spice curries, that the longer you let them cook the more perfect and flavoursome and moreish they become. So last night I let the meat cook for three hours. With every bite I found I wanted more and more!

My other half didn't speak until he had finished eating and the first thing that came out of his mouth afterwards... "There had better be more babe!" Thats why its fantastic that each of these curries leaves plenty of left overs, and they always taste even better the next day!

The health benefits are huge too! Some of the spices in this curry include, Coriander, Cumin, Fenugreek, Tumeric, Mustard, Pepper, Chilli... And with all that spinach, you can't go wrong...

800g lamb
Diced 2 large onions
Finely chopped 4 cloves garlic
Finely chopped 4 tsp Mistress of Spice Madras Curry Powder

500g frozen spinach, defrosted
1 x 400g can diced tomatoes
¾ cup Greek yoghurt
½ cup cream (this can be replaced with yoghurt to make a lower fat version if you like)
1 bunch coriander leaves, roughly chopped
2-3 tbsp oil

Heat oil in large saucepan or frying pan that has a fitting lid. Add the onions and sauté until softened. Add the garlic and fry for a couple of minutes before adding the curry powder. Stir this through the onions and garlic for about 20 seconds and add the diced lamb. Brown the meat, stirring to coat well in the spice mix.

When lamb is lightly browned add the can of tomatoes and about 1 cup of water. Stir, cover and simmer for about 40minutes. Stir occasionally to prevent sticking.

Add the spinach, stir, cover and simmer again for another 20 minutes. Then mix through the yoghurt (or cream if using). Do NOT let the sauce boil at this stage. A very gentle simmer is alright but boiling will cause the yoghurt to curdle. Put in the coriander, stir and season with salt to taste.

Serve with rice and yoghurt.

E.