Tag Archives: Lamb

Lamb Burgers with Preserved Lemons and Cucumber Raita

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These burgers are absolutely delicious and a slightly healthier version of your average beefburger with all the toppings! A great summery meal that is quick and easy to make and ideal for a BBQ. If you can’t get preserved lemons, use lemon zest instead. You will get a different result but still a very tasty one! I have started to stock preserved lemons here at the Cookery School so give me a shout if you are finding it difficult to find them or you could of course, make your own although you will need to make them about a month before you need them.

Ingredients:

For the burgers:

450 g lamb mince

1 red onion

1 clove of garlic, finely chopped

2 tablespoon fresh oregano (use a teaspoon of dried if you don’t have fresh)

1 tablespoon fresh parsley
1 preserved lemon, finely chopped
1 teaspoon ground cumin
100g feta cheese, crumbled
1 egg, whisked lightly (to bind)

For the raita:

3 tablespoons Greek Yogurt

Fresh mint, finely chopped
½ a cucumber, seeds removed with a teaspoon & diced1 clove garlic, minced or chopped finely

lemon juice

To serve:

Pitta breads & Rocket Leaves

Method:

Combine all the ingredients for the burgers in a bowl, keeping half of the egg back.

  1. Mix thoroughly and check the mix is wet enough to hold together and add more egg if necessary
  2. Season the mixture and cook a teaspoonful of it to taste
  3. Shape into patties and refrigerate if time allows as this helps to keep their shape
  4. Cook on a skillet or pan or best, on the BBQ!
  5. Cook for 5-8 mins on each side, checking the middle of one to ensure it is cooked through
  6. Leave to rest for 5 mins
  7. To make the raita, combine the yogurt, garlic, lemon juice and mint
  1. Cut the cucumber in half lengthways and remove the seeds with a teaspoon
  2. Chop the cucumber finely and add to the yogurt
  3. Taste and adjust seasoning

 

To Serve:

 

I love to serve these burgers in lightly toasted pitta bread as it is lighter than burger buns but please feel free to use what you like!

 

Place the burgers in the pitta breads and top with the raita and some rocket leaves. Dig in!

 

 

 

Easy peasy Lamb Tagine with Preserved Lemons & Herby Cous Cous

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I was on twitter the other evening when Colette from Cakes, Bakes & Other Bits asked the question- What is a Tagine? This opened up a bit of discussion and triggered a funny memory for me. When I was about 10, my parents went on holiday to Morocco returning with a tagine. Lots of people thought it was a hat. My Dad had gone to lots of trouble to get it home from the market (to be fair this was before Ryanair & the tiny baggage allowances we have nowadays) he had bought it in only to find the chimney part had cracked. Anyway, not giving up on the dream of making a tagine at home, he persevered and insisted on using it on our electric ’80’s style cooking rings. All was going fine until he was just about to serve it up when he lifted the chimney part off and it crumbled in his hands and into the stew. Very disappointing after all his hard work! He informed me this morning that the remnants became a flower pot for years afterwards!

This is a dish I frequently make in my cookery classes and always goes down a storm! It’s a great dish for feeding a crowd as all the work is done earlier in the day so that you can spend time with your guests when they arrive.

My understanding is that a tagine is the cooking vessel made of earthenware from North Africa. It is used to slow cook stews using lamb and chicken mainly. Nowadays, we tend to think of a tagine as the stew itself using North African spices such as cumin, turmeric, coriander, saffron, cinnamon, ginger, all spice, cloves etc. The spice blend Ras El Hanout is also often used which contains a small amount of rose petals to give a light fragrance. It will often contain preserved lemons, dried fruits such as apricots, dates & raisins.

 

 

 

 

Recipe:

Serves 6

Lamb Tagine

Ingredients:

1.5 kg shoulder of lamb, ask your butcher to bone, trim and cut it into 2 cm dice

2 onions, chopped

2 cloves of garlic, minced or chopped finely

2 tins of chopped tomatoes

3 tablespoons of honey

500mls of lamb stock

1 aubergine, chopped into cubes

2 preserved lemons, pips removed, quartered

Large handful of toasted, flaked almonds

Bunch of fresh coriander, chopped

For the marinade:

2 tablespoons ras el hanout

2 tablespoons ground cinnamon

1 ½ tablespoons ground ginger

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 ½ tablespoons paprika

1 teaspoon cayenne

2 teaspoons ground black pepper

Method:

 

  1. Mix the marinade ingredients with 75 mls of water in a large bowl
  2. Add the lamb and ensure it is well coated
  3. Cover and leave for 24 hours if possible
  4. Heat a large casserole and add oil
  5. Brown the lamb in batches, ensuring you keep the pan hot
  6. Reduce heat, add more oil
  7. Add onions and sweat for 5 mins, then add the garlic and stir for 1-2 mins
  8. Return the lamb to the pot and add the tomatoes, lamb stock and honey
  9. Boil and then put in oven
  10. Stir after 1 ½ hours and add aubergine and preserved lemons
  11. Return to oven for 1 hour, cooking for a total of 2 ½ hours
  12. Sprinkle the almonds and coriander over the tagine and serve with couscous.

Herby Fragrant Couscous

Serves 6

Ingredients:

 

300grms couscous

300mls hot chicken stock

2 limes, cut into wedges

Bunch of mint, roughly chopped

Bunch of coriander, roughly chopped

Optional: Sml knob of Butter

  1. Place couscous into a bowl and cover with chicken stock, leave for 5 mins
  2. Fluff up couscous with a fork and add herbs (& a knob of butter if desired)
  3. Sprinkle some lime juice over, season and mix
  4. Serve

 

 

 

 

 

Easy Fragrant Butterflied Leg of Lamb with Raita & Pomegranate

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This week I am posting easy, tasty alfresco dining recipes. Since I am having friends over myself this weekend, I thought many people would be doing the same so why not suggest an easy 3 course meal perfect for casual summer entertaining? The idea is simple- minimum work with maximum taste.  Most of the work takes place before your guests arrive so that you can still enjoy your friends and familys’ company when they arrive!

Thanks to Cliona O'Flaherty & Sharon Hearne-Smith for shooting & styling this photo

This lamb dish is great for catering to larger groups as you tend to get a variety of slices that are rare, medium & well done due to the non-uniform thickness of the meat.

Serves 8-10

Ingredients:

For the lamb:

1 butterflied leg of lamb

2 tsp Fennel seeds

2 tsp Coriander seeds

2 tsp Cumin seeds

2 tblsp Cardamom Pods

1 tsp Cayenne pepper

100 mls Olive Oil (bog standard is fine for this)

50mls Soy sauce

grated zest of 1 orange

5 garlic cloves , roughly chopped

For the Raita:

1 small tub natural yogurt

Fresh mint, finely chopped

1/2  cucumber

1 clove garlic, minced or chopped finely

lemon juice

To Garnish:

A bunch of fresh Mint

1 Pomegranate (seeds removed) or pack of seeds from the supermarket

Method:

  1. Place the coriander seeds in a dry pan and gently toast, add fennel & cumin  seeds to the pan a few seconds later as they take less time
  2. Place all the seeds and the cardamom pods in a pestle & mortar and grind. As this is a rustic dish, leave the cardomom pods in the mix as they are easily removable later and give a fantastic flavour
  3. Mix all the marinade ingredients together and pour over the lamb.
  4. Leave in the fridge overnight if possible but try to give it at least 6 hrs to infuse
  5. To make the raita, combine the yogurt, garlic, lemon juice and mint
  6. Remove the lamb from the fridge an hour before cooking
  7. Heat either a BBQ or a griddle pan to a high heat (smoking) and place the lamb on. The idea is to char the outside.
  8. Reduce the temperature and continue to cook, basting with the marinade, for about 20-30 mins or to your liking. If it is easier, place in an oven (180°) to finish.
  9. Allow to rest fopr at least 10 mins before carving.remove any cardamom pods that are visible.
  10. Arrange the slices on a platter and scatter with the mint leaves and pomegranate seeds. Serve the raita on the side or drizzle over the lamb.