Summertime suppertime

Suppertime

It feels like summer is almost here, so while I was tidying up the garden I got a lamb stew on the go. It’s a bit like this one that I made a while back, with a few twists.

For the stew:

  • 500g lamb
  • 400g tin tomatoes
  • harissa paste
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1 tsp smoked paprika
  • 6 – 10 dried apricots
  • salt & pepper
  • half an onion
  • a few garlic cloves
  • 4 small carrots
  • water

Put the oven on at about 170C. Cut the lamb into big chunks – about the size of a piece of meat that you’d say ‘ooh lovely’ if it was served to you in a posh restaurant, but secretly you’d be disappointed. Rub a couple of tabelspoons of harissa paste, salt & pepper all over the meat and leave to marinate at room temperature for an hour or so.

In a casserole dish, quickly brown the meat, add the onion thickly sliced, garlic and whole carrots. When it’s looking brown all over, add the tomatoes and a can and a half of water. Add the apricots, halved, and bay leaves. Put in the low oven for a couple of hours, topping up the water after an hour if required.

For the cous cous:

  • 250g cous cous
  • salt & pepper
  • 1 tsp vegetable stock powder
  • dash olive oil
  • half a teaspoon of sumac

Cover all the ingredients with boiling hot water, stir & leave until cooked.

For the roast veg:

  • 1 red pepper, chopped
  • 1 red onion, quartered
  • 12 cherry tomatoes
  • sliced butternut squash, skin-on
  • 1 aubergine, diced

Coat the veg in olive oil, salt & pepper and roast along with the stew – keep an eye on it to make sure it doesn’t catch.

This was lovely in the garden with a glass of cold Riesling, with fish for the pescatarians. The lamb was sweet & spicy & melty. Delicious.

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