I roasted a shoulder of lamb recently and got it together to make an excellent stock from the bones, which I then put in the freezer for later use. Lamb stock has quite a strong flavour and is not as “all-purpose” as chicken or beef stock; it is generally used only in lamb dishes. The stock is well worth the effort and you can use it as a base for a delicious Irish stew.
Irish stew is the perfect example of how good quality ingredients can taste amazing when cooked very simply. Lamb, vegetables and a good stock can produce a magical flavour. Some purists might baulk at the idea of putting carrots and thyme in an Irish stew but they give a great flavour. Give it a try.
Ingredients
- 8 small lamb chops ( I used loin chops, you could use neck or gigot)
- 6 medium sized potatoes, halved
- 3 sticks celery, quartered
- 3 large carrots, quartered
- 750 ml lamb or chicken stock
- 2 tbsp pearl barley
- 1 tsp thyme leaves, finely chopped
- salt & freshly ground black pepper
Method
- Trim the excess fat from the chops. You can leave the chops whole, but I like to cut each chop into large pieces.
- Place all of the ingredients in a large cast-iron casserole or pot, then top up with water to just cover the meat and veggies. Season with salt and plenty of freshly ground black pepper.
- Cover the casserole, bring to a gentle simmer and leave for 1.5 - 2 hours. Check the seasoning and add some chopped fresh parsley.
Serves 4.
Leftovers
If treated right, leftovers can be more impressive than the original meal. To the leftovers of this stew I added 500ml of hot vegetable stock and whizzed with a stick blender. I added some frozen peas, broad beans and some chopped flat-leaf parsley. The results were absolutely wicked.
As far as I’m concerned, spring lamb is at it’s peak right now in terms of tenderness and flavour. I don’t like to mess with a tried and trusted formula; it’s got to be mint sauce with my lamb. Here’s a good recipe to accompany your gigot.
Ingredients
- a good handful of mint leaves
- 1 tbsp red wine vinegar
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1/2 tsp sugar
- 1/2 tsp English mustard
- salt & pepper
Chop the mint leaves finely and mix with the rest of the ingredients in a small bowl. Taste and add more seasoning if you like. That’s it.
Souvlaki is basically a posh lamb kebab. The trick (as I discovered) is to use very lean lamb. Because the lamb is cooked very quickly, any fat present doesn’t have time to cook out, leaving you with a chewier kebab than you may like. It’s not a bad combo, not sure if I’d try it like this again though.
Ingredients
- 350g lean lamb pieces
- 1 medium onion
- 1 tsp cayenne pepper
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 4 pitta breads
I found this recipe in a magazine article on BBQ cookery so I attempted this on a grill pan. It was a disaster! The marinade is delicious but it just sticks to the grill pan. Next time, I’ll cook this under a grill.
Ingredients
- lamb cutlets, 8-12, well trimmed
- root ginger, 2 tsp, grated
- garlic, 3 cloves
- 1 red chilli
- fresh coriander
- 1/2 lemon
- natural yoghurt, 125g
- tomato purée, 1 tbsp
- garam masala, 1 tbsp
Potato Salad
- new potatoes, 500g
- natural yoghurt, 125g
- garlic, 1 clove, crushed
- extra-virgin olive oil, 2 tbsp
- mint, about 2 tbsp
Directions
- Bash the cutlets between cling-film until flattened and coat in the marinade for at least 1 hour or overnight.
- Boil potatoes until tender, then cool under running cold water. Mix yoghurt, garlic, olive oil, salt, pepper and mint in a large bowl. Slice potatoes and add to yoghurt dressing.
- Cook the lamb cutlets under a grill for 3 minutes on each side so that they are pink in the middle but blackened around the edges.
Serves 4.
