With lamb in season but it still being freezing outside, this is the perfect cross between a winter warmer and a fresh spring dish. Another 'just shove it in the slow cooker and wait to see what happens' recipe, also perfect for using up leftover roast lamb. Add however much or little fruit as you like to make a nice fruity little number, and serve with a good helping of couscous, giant couscous if you're feeling fancy.
Serves: 2-3
Cooking time: 25 minutes prep + 6-8 hours slow cooker time
Ingredients:
- 300g Diced Lamb Shoulder
- 1/2 White Onion
- 1 Small Red Onion
- 2 Carrots
- 2 tsp Ras el hanout
- 1/2 tsp Cumin Seeds
- 750ml Lamb Stock
- 2 tsp Honey
- Handful Raisins
- Handful Chopped Dried Apricots
- 1 Cinnamon Stick
- 1 tsp Cornflour
- Salt and Pepper
- Olive Oil
To serve:
- Vegetable Stock
- Lemon Slice
- 100g Giant Couscous
- Coriander
- Pomegranate
Instructions:
- Start by browning the lamb off in a hot frying pan with a glug of olive oil and salt and pepper (this step is not necessary if using leftover lamb from a roast, which if you do, definitely throw the bone in the slow cooker too!)
- Meanwhile, roughly chop the onions and carrots.
- Toss the lamb until evenly browned before putting in the slow cooker.
- Return the pan to the heat and throw in the onions to soften for a couple of minutes before adding the Ras el hanout and cumin seeds for a further 2 minutes.
- Add to the slow cooker along with the carrots, lamb stock, honey, raisins, apricots, cinnamon, and seasoning. Put on a medium heat for 8+ hours, or high for less than 6 hours.
- When you are about 10 minutes off ready to serve, prepare your couscous on the hob with cold water (enough to be double the level of the couscous), a vegetable stock cube, and a slice of lemon, bringing to the boil for 6-8 minutes and topping up with water if necessary.
- While this is boiling, remove most of the gravy from the slow cooker and put in a saucepan on the hob, keeping a little back in a mug to stir in 1 heaped tsp of cornflour until a smooth paste has formed before adding to the saucepan and combining with the rest.
- Let this simmer away until a thick gravy has formed (~7 minutes), returning back to the slow cooker and mixing through.
Serving Note: Serve with a big helping of couscous, a sprinkling of pomegranate seeds (the more the better, they add a burst of freshness), and chopped coriander, accompanied by a large glass of merlot and some Frank Sinatra.
