As I child I did not particularly like eating lamb due to its greasy aftertaste. It was generally cooked without much in the way of herbs or spices and the only relief was mint sauce or jelly which was usually served with it. The latter, of course, is an object of ridicule in France! Later I found that I loved lamb curry or lamb made with garlic and rosemary. The spices and herbs not only enhanced the flavour but neutralised any hint of greasiness.
Yesterday I wanted to do a stir-fried lamb that was not a curry. For the lamb took some chump chops, removed the fat and diced the remaining meat. We tried a recipe for char grilled courgettes that came in a colour supplement with Saturday's Independent as a side dish.
Serves 4
Ingredients
400-500 g diced lamb
1.5 tsp chilli powder
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp cinnamon
1 lemon
2 tsp soya sauce
2 medium onions
2 large garlic cloves
250 ml passata
3 tbsp olive oil (roughly)
280 g couscous
2 tsp tumeric
3 spring onions or Welsh onion tubes
280 ml boiling water
Method
1. Mix the juice of one lemon, a tablespoon of olive oil, the soya sauce, chopped garlic and spices in bowl.
2. Add the diced lamb to the bowl and marinade for 2-4 hours.
3. Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a wok. Chop the onions and fry them until soft.
4. Drain the lamb and stir fry at a high temperature. Once the lamb is browned, add the remaining marinade and passata reduce the heat and simmer for about 20 min.
5. Meanwhile (about 10 minutes before serving) put the couscous in a saucepan and mix the tumeric and chopped spring (or Welsh) onions through.
6. Add the boiling water to the pan and mix through the couscous.
7. Cover with a lid and leave for 5 minutes before serving.
2006-10-19 @ 17:35