Sunday, 9 December 2012

Braised neck of lamb with apricots and cinnamon.

Nigel Slater's braised neck of lamb with apricots and cinnamon, and mograbia with bay and cinnamon recipes | Life and style | The Observer:
For this dish I would also recommend small shanks.
Turn them once or twice during cooking, as they will sit proud of the sauce.
I usually reckon on at least 300g of neck of lamb per person.
This sounds quite a lot, but we are talking about one of the most bone-rich cuts of meat, so the quantity of meat should be just about right.

Serves 4
1.25kg middle neck of lamb 8 pieces
flour 3 tbsp
groundnut or olive oil 2 tbsp and a little more
onions 2 medium to large
cumin seeds 1 tsp
ground coriander 2 tsp
crushed dried chillies ½ tsp or so
garlic 2 cloves
fresh ginger a 3cm lump
lemon peel 2 strips about 6cm long
a cinnamon stick
dried apricots 250g
stock or water 750ml

To serve:
chopped mint leaves 2 tbsp
finely grated lemon zest 1 tsp

Dust the lamb with the flour and season with salt and black pepper. Warm a few tablespoons of oil in a large, heavy-based pan for which you have a lid. Add the lamb. Let the pieces brown lightly on both sides. You will probably need to do them in two batches. Remove them from the pan, leaving behind any oil. (If the oil has blackened then wipe out the pan and start again with fresh oil.) Set the oven at 160C/gas mark 3.

Peel the onions and roughly chop them. Add them to the pan and let them soften for 10 minutes or so over a moderate heat. Stir in the whole cumin seeds and ground coriander. Sprinkle in the dried chilli flakes, adding a little extra for more warmth. (I don't think the dish should be hot, just warm and fruity.) Peel the garlic and slice it finely, then add it to the onions. Peel the ginger and add it to the pan together with the lemon peel and cinnamon stick.

Add the dried apricots to the onions then pour in the stock. Return the lamb to the pan and tuck it among the rest of the ingredients. Bring to the boil. Cover with a lid and place in the oven for 90 minutes, till the lamb is tender enough to come easily away from the bone.

As you serve, scatter the surface with fresh mint and lemon zest.
MOGRABIA WITH BAY AND CINNAMON
The pearl-sized grains should be cooked until they are soft but retain a little bite, too.

Enough for 4 as an accompaniment mograbia 250g
cinnamon ½ a stick
parsley a few sprigs
butter 30-40g, melted
a small lemon (optional)

Put a pot of water on to boil. (The mograbia likes to move around as it cooks, like pasta.)
Salt the water and add the cinnamon.
Tip in the mograbia and leave it to come back to the boil.
Let it simmer merrily for 10-15 minutes.

Remove the parsley leaves from their stalks and chop them quite finely.
Stir into the melted butter, adding pepper and a little grated lemon if you wish.
Drain the mograbia, discard the cinnamon stick, then toss in the melted butter and herbs."
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