Zingy Shoulder of Lamb

Zingy Shoulder of Lamb

2kg shoulder of lamb
8 cloves of garlic, chopped
15ml smoked paprika
10ml salt
5ml peppercorns
15ml grated lemon rind
15ml thyme leaves
15ml rosemary
15ml green chilli, chopped
62ml olive oil
62ml lemon juice
2 lemons, quartered

Preheat your oven to 160℃.
Add the garlic, paprika, salt, peppercorns, lemon rind, thyme, rosemary, chilli, olive oil and lemon juice to a blender and blitz until you have a relatively smooth paste.
Place the lamb in a roasting tin and brush the paste over it, covering it completely.
Pour about 500ml of boiling water AROUND the meat and cover with aluminium foil.
Roast in the oven for 3 hours.
Remove the meat from the oven and place it on a serving plate with the quartered lemons.

Traditional South African Green Bean Stew

Traditional South African Green Bean Stew

1,5kg cooking lamb (traditionally lamb neck or ribs are used)
2 onions, chopped
3 cloves of garlic, minced
1 tin of chopped tomatoes
1 litre lamb stock
5 large potatoes, cut into chunks
400g green beans, trimmed to 2cm lenghths
2,5ml white pepper
30ml lemon juice

Place a large saucepan over medium-high heat, add some vegetable oil to it and brown the lamb.
Add the onions and cook until soft and translucent.
Add the garlic and stir-fry for one minute.
Now add the tinned tomato, lamb stock and 10ml salt. Add enough additional water to cover the lamb completely.
Turn the heat down to a simmer and cook for 90 minutes.
Add the potato and simmer for 10 minutes.
Now add the green beans and simmer for another 15 minutes or so, until done.
Turn the heat off, add the 2,5ml white pepper and drizzle the lemon juice over the stew.
Give the stew a good mix and serve on rice.

Lemon Ribs

Lemon Ribs

1.5kb lamb ribs
1 lemon, the zest grated finely
2 lemons, juiced
3 cloves of garlic, minced
15ml thyme leaves
15ml rosemary
50ml white wine
30ml olive oil
30ml honey
45ml wholegrain mustard
10ml salt

Preheat your oven to 180℃.
Cut 2 pieces of baking paper, large enough to cover an oven roasting dish. Scrunch the paper into a ball, open it up and run it under cold water. Line your roasting dish with one of the wet pieces of paper. Set aside.
Add the lemon zest, lemon juice, garlic, thyme, rosemary, wine, oil, honey, mustard and salt to a blender and blitz until smooth.
Place the ribs in the prepared dish, pour over half of the sauce and spread it evenly over the meat.
Flip the ribs over, pour the rest of the sauce over and spread it evenly.
Cover the ribs with the other piece of wet baking paper and bake in the oven for 90 minutes.
Remove the baking paper and bake for another 10 minutes or so until the ribs start to brown.
Flip them over and bake the other side until golden.
Serve immediately.

Lamb Meze

Lamb Meze

30ml vegetable oil
30ml butter
500g lamb sausage
3 cloves of garlic, minced
1 lemon, juiced (30ml)
60ml + 30ml pomegranate seeds
10ml honey
45ml pine nuts, toasted
a small bunch of parsley, chopped

Place a frying pan over medium-high heat and add the vegetable oil and butter.
Puncture the sausages by poking them a few times with a fork.
Add the sausages to the pan and fry until caramelised and browned.
Add the garlic, lemon juice, 60ml pomegranate seeds and honey to a pestle and mortar and mix vigorously.
Strain the juices into a large mixing bowl.
Remove the sausages from the pan and add them directly to the mixing bowl with the juices. Toss to coat.
Place the sausages on a serving platter and drizzle over the rest of the dressing.
Scatter over the other 30ml of pomegranate seeds, pine nuts and parsley.
Serve as is or with a fresh crusty bread.

Lamb Pot Pies

Lamb Pot Pies

A perfect meal to put together with leftover roast lamb. This recipe yields 6 individual pot pies.

30ml vegetable oil
1 onion, chopped
2 carrots, cut into small cubes
2 cloves of garlic, minced
30ml flour
5ml smoked paprika
500ml lamb stock
30ml tomato paste
30ml Worcestershire sauce
2 potatoes, peeled and cut in to small cubes
600-700g leftover roast lamb, chopped
30ml finely chopped rosemary
1 sheet puff pastry
egg wash: 1 egg yolk + 15ml cold water, whisked together

Preheat your oven to 200℃.
Place a large saucepan over medium-high heat and pour in the oil.
Add the onion and carrot and cook until the onion is soft.
Add the garlic and stir-fry for 1 minute.
Sprinkle the flour and paprika over and stir-fry for another minute.
Add the stock slowly and a little at a time while stirring constantly.
Now add the tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce, potato, lamb and rosemary.
Bring to a simmer and cook for 10 – 15 minutes until the vegetables are done. (Add some water if needed)
Taste the mixture and adjust the seasoning to your liking.
Spoon the lamb mixture into 6 individual ovenproof ramekins.
Lay the puff pastry on a lightly floured work surface, turn a ramekin over on it and cut 6 rounds from the pastry.
Place the pastry discs on the lamb filling and press the edges to seal.
Brush with egg wash and bake in the oven for 25 minutes.
Serve the pot pies piping hot.

Slow-Cooked Saucy Curry

Slow-Cooked Saucy Curry

1 onion, chopped
2 cloves of garlic, minced
5ml salt
15ml ground ginger
15ml curry powder
15ml turmeric
15ml sumac
15ml sugar
30ml lemon juice
2kg stewing lamb
2 x 400g tins of coconut milk
750ml + 250ml vegetable stock
5 carrots, peeled and cubed
5 potatoes, peeled and cubed

Place a large saucepan over medium-high heat and pour in enough oil to cover the base.
Add the onion and cook until soft.
Add the garlic, salt, ginger, curry powder, turmeric, sumac, sugar and lemon juice and stir-fry for 2 minutes.
Add the lamb and stir to cover the meat in the spices.
Pour 1 can of coconut milk and 750ml stock into the saucepan and bring to a boil.
Turn the heat down to a simmer and cook for an hour.
Add the carrots and potato and pour in the 250ml stock.
Simmer for another hour.
Now add the last can of coconut milk and crusty some of the potato against the sides of the saucepan to thicken the sauce.
Cook for 5 minutes and serve on steamed rice.

Lamb Curry

Lamb Curry

45ml sunflower oil
2 onions, diced
3 cloves of garlic, minced
5ml salt
15ml ground ginger
5ml chilli flakes
10ml ground coriander
5ml ground cumin
15ml turmeric
2,5ml smoked paprika
30ml sugar
4 cloves
3 cardamon pods
2 bay leaves
2 star anise
1 x 400g can of chopped tomato
2kg stewing lamb
4-5 potatoes, peeled and diced
fresh coriander leaves

Add the sunflower oil and onion to a large saucepan set over medium-high heat.
Cook the onion, stirring occasionally, until it begins to caramelise.
Add the garlic and stir-fry for 1 minute.
Now add the salt, ginger, chilli flakes, coriander, cumin, turmeric, paprika and sugar.
Stir through and then add the whole spices: cloves, cardamon, bay leaf and star anise.
Pour in the chopped tomato and give everything a good stir.
Add the lamb and stir until all the meat is covered in the spices.
Pour in enough water to cover the meat.
Bring to a boil, turn the heat down to a simmer and cook for 90 minutes, stirring every now and then.
Add the diced potato, stir through and simmer the curry for another 30 minutes.
Serve on white rice with fresh coriander and a good chutney.

Shoulder of Lamb

Shoulder of Lamb

2kg lamb shoulder
6 cloves of garlic, minced
15ml ground cumin
15ml ground coriander
5ml chilli flakes
10ml smoked paprika
10ml salt
5ml black peppercorns, crushed
62ml olive oil
62ml lemon juice

125ml pomegranate seeds
60ml pine kernels, roasted

Preheat your oven to 160℃.
Place the lamb shoulder in a roasting dish with the fat side up.
Add the cumin, coriander, chilli, paprika, salt, peppercorns, olive oil and lemon juice to a small bowl and mix together.
Smear the paste all over the meat.
Pour 500ml of water around the lamb and tightly cover the roasting dish with aluminium foil.
Roast the lamb for an hour, open up the foil and spoon the liquid in the pan over the meat.
Cover again and roast further. Open the lamb once more after another hour.
The total roasting time should be 3 hours, with the foil covering.
Remove the foil after 3 hours of roasting and place the meat back in the oven for 30 minutes.
Remove the meat from the roasting tin but reserve the juices.
Slice or shred the lamb in a serving dish and drizzle with the pan juices.
Sprinkle the pomegranate seeds and pine kernels over the shredded meat and serve.

Drunken Lamb Chops

Drunken Lamb Chops

10ml cornstarch
15ml water
30ml brown sugar
60ml balsamic vinegar
60ml soy sauce
125ml brandy
45ml oyster sauce
60ml sesame oil
30ml rosemary leaves, finely chopped
6 cloves of garlic, minced
12 – 16 lamb chops

Add the cornstarch and water to a small bowl and stir together.
Add the brown sugar, balsamic and soy sauce to a small saucepan and stir until the sugar dissolves.
Bring to a boil over medium heat.
Stir the cornstarch again and pour it over the mixture while whisking.
Simmer over a low heat for about 3 minutes. The sauce should be thick enough to cover the back of a spoon.
Remove from the heat and cool completely.
Add the brandy, oyster sauce, sesame oil, rosemary and garlic to the sauce and mix together.
Measure out a third of the sauce and reserve for basting the meat on the grill.
Place the lamb in a shallow ceramic dish and spoon over the rest of the sauce. Marinate for 1 hour.
Grill the chops on a hot fire, 3 minutes a side while basting with the reserved sauce.
Rest covered for 4 minutes.
Serve with a glass of crispy wine.

Lamb Curry (Rogan Josh)

Lamb Curry (Rogan Josh)

1,5kg lamb shoulder or leg, cut into 2cm cubes
vegetable oil
10 whole cardamom pods
15ml mustard seeds
2 bay leaves
6 whole cloves
10 black peppercorns
1 stick cinnamon
2 onions, finely chopped
8 cloves of garlic, minced
5ml ground coriander
10ml ground cumin
20ml paprika
15ml ground ginger
5ml crushed dried chillies
5ml salt
2 red chillies, chopped
120ml yoghurt
2,5ml garam masala

Place a heavy-bottom saucepan on a medium-high heat and cover the base with vegetable oil.
Brown the meat in batches and set aside in a bowl.
Add the cardamom, bay leaves, cloves, peppercorns and cinnamon and stir the mixture for about 1 minute.
Add the onion and fry for about 5 minutes.
Add the garlic and fry for another minute.
Now add the coriander, cumin, paprika, crushed chillies, salt and fresh chillies and stir-fry for another 30 seconds or so.
Add the meat and stir through to cover with the spices.
Add a spoonful of yoghurt and stir-fry for 30 seconds. Add the remaining yoghurt in the same way, so that the sauce does not split.
Pour in 375ml of water and bring the curry to a boil.
Turn the heat down to a slow simmer and cover the saucepan with a lid. Cook for 1 hour or until the lamb is tender, stirring frequently.
Remove the lid and cook the curry for another 30 minutes, stirring and waiting for the sauce to become beautifully thick.
Sprinkle over the garam masala, mix through and serve with fragrant rice.