It feels like summer is almost here, so while I was tidying up the garden I got a lamb stew on the go. It’s a bit like this one that I made a while back, with a few twists.
For the stew:
- 500g lamb
- 400g tin tomatoes
- harissa paste
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 6 – 10 dried apricots
- salt & pepper
- half an onion
- a few garlic cloves
- 4 small carrots
- water
Put the oven on at about 170C. Cut the lamb into big chunks – about the size of a piece of meat that you’d say ‘ooh lovely’ if it was served to you in a posh restaurant, but secretly you’d be disappointed. Rub a couple of tabelspoons of harissa paste, salt & pepper all over the meat and leave to marinate at room temperature for an hour or so.
In a casserole dish, quickly brown the meat, add the onion thickly sliced, garlic and whole carrots. When it’s looking brown all over, add the tomatoes and a can and a half of water. Add the apricots, halved, and bay leaves. Put in the low oven for a couple of hours, topping up the water after an hour if required.
For the cous cous:
- 250g cous cous
- salt & pepper
- 1 tsp vegetable stock powder
- dash olive oil
- half a teaspoon of sumac
Cover all the ingredients with boiling hot water, stir & leave until cooked.
For the roast veg:
- 1 red pepper, chopped
- 1 red onion, quartered
- 12 cherry tomatoes
- sliced butternut squash, skin-on
- 1 aubergine, diced
Coat the veg in olive oil, salt & pepper and roast along with the stew – keep an eye on it to make sure it doesn’t catch.
This was lovely in the garden with a glass of cold Riesling, with fish for the pescatarians. The lamb was sweet & spicy & melty. Delicious.