Lamb Pasanda

Lamb Pasanda

This curry is very straight forward to make.  It is a wonderful warming & comforting curry for this time of year!

Serves 4

Prep time:  15 minutes (plus 2 hours marinating)

Cooking time:  1 hour

Ingredients

600g boneless leg of lamb, cut into 2.5cm cubes

2 tbsp garlic paste

2 tbsp ginger paste

3 tbsp vegetable oil

3 large onions, chopped

1 green chilli, deseeded & finely chopped

2 green cardamom pods, bruised

1 cinnamon stick, broken in half

2 tsp ground coriander

1 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp turmeric

250 ml water

150ml double cream

4 tbsp ground almonds

1 ½ tsp salt

1 tsp garam masala

To serve

Toasted flaked almonds

Basmati rice or Indian breads

Preparation method

1.  In a large bowl add the cubed lamb, garlic paste and ginger paste.  Use your hands to rub the paste into the lamb, cover and set aside in a cool place to marinate for at least 2 hours.

2.  In a large frying pan heat the oil over a medium heat, add the onions and chilli.  Now gently fry, stirring frequently for 5-8 minutes until softened and golden.

3.  Now add the cardamom pods, cinnamon stick, coriander, cumin and turmeric.  Stir continuously for 1-2 minutes or until the spices are aromatic.

4.  Add the lamb, cook for 5-7 minutes until browned.  Stir in the water, bring to the boil and then reduce to a simmer.  Cover the pan tightly and allow to simmer for 40-45 minutes until tender.

5.  Meanwhile in a small bowl add the double cream and ground almonds and mix together.  When the lamb is tender add 4 tablespoons of the cooking liquid to the cream and stir through.  Now add this to the lamb, with the salt and garam masala.

6.  Allow to simmer for a further 5 minutes uncovered.  Serve on warmed plates with a sprinkling of toasted flaked almonds and rice or Indian breads (or both), enjoy!

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Shepherd’s Pie made with 10 Hour Slow-Cooked Lamb Shank

Shepherd’s Pie made with 10 Hour Slow-Cooked Lamb Shank

This has to be the best Shepherd’s Pie I have tasted; it is definitely worth every minute of the cooking time required.  Comfort food at its best!

Serves 4

Prep time:  20 minutes

Cooking time:  1 hour 15 minutes (plus cooking lamb shanks for 10 hours)

Ingredients

For the lamb shanks:

2 tbsp olive oil

2 large lamb shanks

1 onion, peeled & quartered

2 garlic cloves, peeled & crushed

2 celery sticks, chopped

2 sprigs of rosemary

1 bay leaf

500ml water

For the pie:

2 tbsp olive oil

2 large onions, peeled & chopped

2 large carrots, diced

1 celery stalk, finely sliced

150g mushrooms, sliced

Sea salt & freshly ground pepper

25g butter

2 tbsp plain flour

300ml lamb stock from the shanks

150g frozen peas

150ml red wine

900g floury potatoes, peeled

100g butter, plus extra for cooking

100ml milk

Method

1.  The night before, preheat the oven to 130°C/110°C Fan/Gas mark ½/250°F.

2.  In a large frying pan heat the olive oil and add the shanks.  Brown them quickly all over, turning for a few minutes then remove.

3.  Place the shanks into a casserole pot with the onion, garlic, celery, rosemary, thyme, bay leaf and cover with water.  Put in the oven overnight for 10 hours or until falling off the bone.

4.  The next day, remove the shanks to cool, strain the liquid (you will use this later) and set aside, dispose of the contents of the sieve.  When the shanks are cool remove the soft meat and dice.

5.  In a large frying pan add the olive oil and gently fry the onions, carrots and celery for 7 minutes until softened.  Now add the mushrooms, season well and fry for a further 2-3 minutes.

6.  Add the butter and allow it to melt and sprinkle over the flour, and stir through for 1 minute.  Reduce the heat and gradually stir in the stock and peas, continuing to stir.  Once the sauce has started to thicken slowly stir through the red wine and chopped lamb.  Gently simmer for 5 minutes and season well.  Transfer the mixture to an ovenproof baking dish.

7.  Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 180°C/160°C Fan/350°F/Gas mark 4.

8.  Boil the potatoes in salted water until tender.  When cooked drain and mash with a potato ricer or masher.  Add the milk, butter and season well and mix through until there are no lumps.  Top the baking dish with the mashed potato and speckle with some butter.  Bake the pie in the oven for 45-55 minutes, or until it is golden.

9.  Serve on warmed plates, enjoy!

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Rack of Lamb with a Herb Crust served with Dauphinoise Potatoes

Rack of Lamb with a Herb Crust served with Dauphinoise Potatoes

This is a seriously tasty meal – tender lamb with delicious decadent potatoes.

Serves 4

Prep time:  20 – 30 minutes

Cooking time:  60 minutes

Ingredients

For the dauphinoise potatoes

150g butter

1 large onion, peeled & finely sliced

5 anchovy fillets, chopped

1 tsp fresh thyme leaves, chopped

200ml double cream

75ml milk

Sea salt & freshly ground pepper

1kg floury potatoes, peeled & finely sliced

For the rack of lamb:

2 x 6-bone rack of lamb

Sea salt & freshly ground pepper

1 tbsp Dijon mustard

2 tbsp fresh rosemary, finely chopped

2 tbsp fresh thyme, finely chopped

Olive oil

250 ml red wine

3 sprigs of fresh thyme

3 sprigs of fresh rosemary

2 bay leaves

6 garlic cloves, unpeeled

Preparation method

1.  Preheat the oven to 200°C/400°F/Gas mark 6.

2.  For the dauphinoise potatoes, in a large frying pan melt the butter over a gentle heat.  Now add the onion, anchovies and thyme leaves and gently cook for 10 minutes until softened.

3.  Add the milk and cream and bring to a boil, now simmer until the sauce reduces slightly and thickens.  Season to taste, add the potatoes and stir through so all the potatoes are covered in cream.

4.  Transfer the potatoes to baking dish, cover with baking parchment and cover the dish with foil.  Place in the oven for 40 minutes, then remove the foil and parchment and cook for a further 15-20 minutes to colour the top.

5.  As soon as the potatoes go in start on the racks of lamb, season the lamb with sea salt and freshly ground pepper.  Now brush with Dijon mustard, and coat with the freshly chopped thyme & rosemary, pressing the herbs firmly into the flesh.

6.  Heat a little olive oil into a large oven-proof frying pan until it is very hot, sear the lamb racks until browned all over.  Pour off excess fat, then pour in the red wine, garlic, rosemary, thyme, bay leaves and garlic and bring to the boil.

7.  Place in the oven for 20-30 minutes, depending on how you like your lamb cooked.  Remove the lamb from the oven, cover with foil to rest.  At the same time remove the parchment and foil from the potatoes.

8.  To serve, slice the lamb into chops, heat the jus and drizzle over the lamb and serve with a large spoonful of dauphinoise potatoes.  Enjoy!

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Slow Roasted Leg of Lamb with Roast Potatoes in Rosemary & Garlic, Glazed Carrots & Leek Gratin

This has to be one of the best Sunday roasts.  This lamb is full of flavour and is complimented by the side dishes.  This roast takes some organisational skills but it is definitely worth every minute!

Serves 4-6

Preparation time:  30-40 minutes

Cooking time: 4 ½ - 5 hours

Ingredients

For the lamb

1x 2kg leg of lamb

2 fresh rosemary stalks

6 anchovy fillets in oil, drained & cut into 3 pieces

2 cloves of garlic, peeled & cut into slivers

1 onion, peeled & sliced

For the roast potatoes with garlic & rosemary

2-3 tbsp vegetable oil

1.5 kg potatoes, peeled

1 garlic clove, peeled & crushed

Few rosemary sprigs

Sea salt & freshly ground pepper

For the glazed carrots with thyme & garlic

600g small carrots, peeled

1 litre vegetable stock

1 thyme sprig

½ head of garlic (cut horizontally)

1 bay leaf

Olive oil, for cooking

Sea salt & freshly ground pepper

Few knobs of butter

1-2 tsp caster sugar

For the leek gratin

25g butter

2 tbsp olive oil

4 large leeks, finely sliced into rings

300ml white wine

125ml double cream

salt and freshly ground black pepper

110g mature cheddar cheese

For the gravy

200ml red wine

1 tbsp redcurrant jelly

1 tbsp cornflour

½ lamb stock cube

Sea salt & freshly ground pepper

Preparation method

1. Preheat the oven to 160°C/Gas Mark 3.  Put the lamb on a board and use the tip of a knife to make 15-20 deep holes all over it.  Take sprigs of rosemary off the stalks and place in a hole with a sliver of garlic and a piece of anchovy, push it in as far as it will go.  Fill all the holes like this.

2.  Put the sliced onion in a roasting tin and place the lamb on top, covering all the onion with the lamb.  Season the lamb and cover the roasting tin with foil and place in the oven for 4 ½ hours.

3.  Take the lamb out of the oven and remove the foil and any excess fat.  Pour in the red wine and increase the heat of the oven to 200°C/Gas Mark 6 and cook for 20 minutes. Remove the lamb from the oven and place on a warmed dish, cover with foil and a couple of tea towels and leave to rest for 15-20 minutes.

4.  For the roast potatoes with garlic and rosemary, put the oil in a sturdy baking tray and heat over a medium heat.  When the oil is hot add the potatoes and coat in oil.  Add the garlic and rosemary to the tray and season the potatoes.  Place the tray in the oven and roast, turning the potatoes occasionally for 40-45 minutes until crisp, golden and cooked through.

5.  For the glazed carrots with thyme and garlic, place the carrots into a pan and pour over the stock.  Add the thyme, garlic and bay leaf and parboil for 8 minutes.  Leave the carrots to cool in the stock and then drain.  Heat the oil in a pan and add the carrots and season well.  Sauté for 2 minutes then add the butter and a sprinkling of sugar, cook for 3-4 minutes until tender and fully glazed.

6.  For the leek gratin, preheat the grill to high.  Heat a frying pan until hot, and add the butter, olive oil and leeks. Fry over a low heat for 1-2 minutes until just softened.

Add the white wine to the pan and simmer for a further two minutes, until the wine has reduced by half.  Add the double cream and cook for a further minute. Season to taste and spoon the creamy leeks into an ovenproof dish. Sprinkle the grated cheese over the top of the gratin and place under the grill to cook until golden-brown.

7.  For the gravy, spoon off any fat from the roasting tin then put it on the hob and stir in 200ml water and redcurrant jelly.  Bring to the boil and stir constantly.  Remove from the heat and pass through a sieve into a pan.  Place the pan on the hob and bring to a simmer.  Mix the cornflour with 2 tbsp of cold water and mix in a bowl until smooth.  Stir it into the gravy, add the stock cube and simmer for 2 minutes until the gravy thickens.  Season to taste and keep on a low heat until the lamb has rested.

8.  To serve, carve the lamb into slices and serve on warm plates with the roast potatoes, glazed carrots, leek gratin and gravy – enjoy!

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the Best Lamb Tagine

The Best Lamb Tagine

This delicious tagine of lamb with apricots will take you to slow-cooked perfection in five easy steps – just kick back with a glass of wine until it is ready!

Serves 4

Prep time:   15 minutes

Cooking time: 2 hours 45 minutes

Ingredients

2 tbsp vegetable oil

800g/ 1lb 12 oz lamb shoulder, cubed

1 onion, peeled & sliced

2 garlic cloves, peeled & crushed

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp chilli flakes

1 tsp turmeric

1 tsp ground ginger

450ml/15 fl oz lamb stock

400g/1 lb dried apricots

1 x 400g/14 oz tin of chopped tomatoes

Salt & freshly ground pepper

1 x 400g/14 oz tin of chick peas, drained

To Serve

1 small bunch of fresh flat leaf parsley, chopped

1 small bunch of fresh mint, chopped

1 handful of flaked almonds

400g/14 oz cous cous, cooked as per packet instructions

6 tbsp Greek yogurt

Method

1.  Preheat the oven to 150°C/300°F/Gas mark 2.

2.  Heat the oil in a large tagine or frying pan, add the lamb in batches for 3-4 minutes or until browned all over and set aside.

3.  Add the onion to the tagine or frying pan and fry slowly for 3-4 minutes or until softened.  Now add the garlic and spices and cook for a further 2-3 minutes.  Return the lamb and coat with the spices then add the stock, apricots, tomatoes and season with salt and pepper.

4.  Bring to the boil and place in an oven proof tagine or casserole.  Cover with the lid and cook for 2 hours.  Stir in the chick peas and cook for a further 30 minutes.

5.  To serve, spinkle over the parsley, mint and flakes almonds.  Serve with the cous cous and Greek yogurt.

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Lamb Shank with Garlic, Rosemary and Cannellini Beans and Crispy Parmesan Crumbs

Lamb Shank with Garlic, Rosemary and Cannellini Beans and Crispy Parmesan Crumbs

This is a delicious and flavoursome dish that can be prepared in advance, serve with crusty bread to mop up the wonderful sauce.

Serves 4

Prep time:   15 - 20 minutes

Cooking time: 3 hours 15 minutes

Ingredients

For the lamb shanks

4 lamb shanks

6 tinned anchovies, cut into halves

12 small rosemary sprigs

12 slivers garlic

salt and freshly ground black pepper

55g/2oz butter

2 carrots, roughly chopped

2 sticks celery, roughly chopped

1 leek, roughly chopped

2 onions, roughly chopped

1 head garlic, broken up into cloves

1 sprig thyme

1 sprig rosemary

1 bay leaf

½ bottle red wine

600ml/1 pint chicken or lamb stock or water

For the sauce

2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

115g/4oz streaky bacon lardons

1 carrot, finely diced

1 stick celery, finely diced

1 onion, finely diced

6 cloves garlic, peeled & finely chopped

2 sprigs thyme

2 sprigs rosemary, chopped

4 tomatoes, seeded and diced

2 x 375g/13oz tins cannellini beans, drained and rinsed

For the parmesan crumbs

2 tbsp olive oil

50g/2 oz white breadcrumbs

25g/1 oz parmesan, freshly grated

To serve

Crusty bread

Method

1.  Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/gas mark 4.

2.  To make the crispy parmesan crumbs, heat the olive oil in a frying pan and add the breadcrumbs.  Fry for 2 – 3 minutes until golden and crunchy.  Transfer to a bowl, sprinkle over the parmesan and toss to coat the crumbs.

3.  For the lamb shanks, remove the majority of fat from the shanks. Make three deep incisions in each shank and insert in each half an anchovy wrapped around a sprig of rosemary and a slice of garlic. Season the meat with salt and freshly ground black pepper.

4.  Heat the butter in a casserole, add the shanks and brown all over. Remove and set aside.  Now add the carrots, celery, leek, onions, garlic cloves and herbs to the casserole and cook over a high heat until the vegetables are browned.

5.  Deglaze the casserole by adding the red wine, scraping the residue on the bottom of the pan and stirring well.  Add the stock to the casserole, place the shanks on top of the vegetables, cover and cook in the oven for two and a half hours.

6.  When the lamb has finished cooking, remove the four shanks to a dish and keep warm. Blend the vegetables and cooking liquor in a food processor and set to one side.

7.  For the sauce, heat the oil in a large pan over a medium to high heat. Add the bacon and fry until browned. Reduce the heat and add the carrot, celery, onion and garlic.  Cook for eight minutes until the vegetables have softened then add the thyme, rosemary, tomatoes and cannellini beans. Heat through.

8.  Pass the blended lamb cooking liquor and vegetables through a strainer or fine sieve onto the bean mixture, stir together and pour over the lamb shanks.

9.  Serve the lamb garnished with the crispy parmesan crumbs and crusty bread to mop up all the fabulous flavours.

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The Best Moussaka

The Best Moussaka

Bring Greece to your home with this classic Greek dish, absolutely delicious!

Serves 6

Prep time:  30 minutes

Cooking time: 1 hour 50 minutes

Ingredients

For the Moussaka

3 large aubergines, sliced lengthways

Extra virgin olive oil

60g/2 ½ oz grated kefalotiri cheese or a mixture of gruyere & parmesan

½   tsp ground cinnamon

For the Meat Sauce

2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1 large onion, peeled & chopped

2 garlic cloves, peeled and chopped

450g/1 lb minced lamb

1 large glass of dry white wine

2 tbsp tomato puree

450g/1 lb tomatoes, peeled & roughly chopped

1 tsp sugar

1 ½ tsp ground cinnamon

1 tbsp dried oregano

1 handful fresh parsley, finely chopped

Freshly ground salt & pepper

For the white sauce

60g/2 ½ oz butter

60g/2 ½ oz plain flour

600ml/1 pint milk

60g/2 ½ oz grated kefalotiri cheese or a mixture of gruyere & parmesan

1 egg

1 egg yolk

Method

1.  Sprinkle the aubergine slices with salt and set aside for at least 30 minutes, preferably 1 hour.

2.  To make the meat sauce, heat the oil in a large pan and add the onion and garlic.  Gently cook until tender without browning then add the lamb and fry until browned.  Add the wine, puree, tomatoes, sugar, cinnamon, oregano and season to taste.  Simmer for 30 minutes until thick and then stir in the parsley.

3.  To make the white sauce, melt the butter in a saucepan and stir in the flour.  Keep stirring for about 1 minute then remove the pan from the heat.  Slowly start to add the milk, stirring it well.  Return the pan to a gentle heat and simmer for 10-15 minutes until the sauce is thick, frequently stirring.  Add the cheese and season, just before serving beat in the egg and yolk.

4.  Preheat the oven to 190°C/375°F/Gas mark 5.

5.  Wipe the aubergines with kitchen paper and put them onto oiled baking sheets and brush with olive oil.  Bake in the oven for 20 minutes until tender and slightly browned.  Reduce the oven temperature to 180°C/350°F/Gas mark 4.

6.  Oil a 30 x 20cm (12 x 8 in)or 25 x 25cm 10 x 10 in) ovenproof dish. Lay half the aubergine slices on the base, overlapping if necessary.  Spread over half the meat sauce on top.  Lay the remaining aubergine on top and add the remaining meat sauce.  Pour over all the white sauce and sprinkle with cheese and cinnamon.  Bake in the oven for 50-60 minutes until nicely browned.  Let the moussaka rest in the oven for 5 minutes before serving, enjoy!!

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