Lamb Mafe

Mafe is a west African stew made with tomatoes, peanuts and meat. Cooked for a couple of hours with root vegetables such as yam and served with fluffy couscous, moorish and never enough to go round.

1kg diced lamb
800g canned chopped tomatoes
250ml tomato juice
300g crunchy peanut butter
300ml water
600g yam
1 large sweet potato
2 carrots
2 parsnips
1 white onion
4 cloves garlic
2 dried red chillies
2 bay leaves
1 small bunch coriander
50ml tablespoon vegetable oil
Sea salt

METHOD:
Peel yam, sweet potato and cut into 5cm cubes, peel carrots and parsnips and slice into 1cm thick rounds. Peel onion and cut in half then slice thinly lengthways, peel garlic and slice thinly.
Place a large heavy based pot over high heat, once the base is hot add half the oil, lamb and season with a good pinch of sea salt. Cook lamb and stir periodically till it starts to brown, remove the lamb from pot and place in a side bowl. Put pot back over a medium heat and add remainder of the vegetable oil pour in the onions and cook till translucent and soft. Add carrot, parsnips, garlic, chilli, bay and cook till vegetables are warmed through then pour in water, tomato, tomato juice, peanut butter, yam, sweet potato and cook till liquid starts to simmer then add lamb. Turn heat down to low and cover, cook for 50 minutes making sure you stir every 10 minutes. After the 50 minuets of cooking remove the cover and cook for another 40-45 minutes till lamb is tender. Once cooked serve with couscous and fresh coriander leaves.

Spiced Lamb with Roasted Rhubarb, Broad Beans and Salsa Verde

If you've got the post Easter blues and some left over lamb from the weekend this might cheer you up. Two of my favourite ingredients have just come into season, marsh grown rhubarb which is sour and sharp, the other is young broads beans which are smaller and sweet. Incorporated with spring lamb lightly roasted and dressed in Salsa Verde this salad is not only bloody yummy its also healthy. Good news after a long weekend of chocolate and heart burn!
I must also mention Etienne has taken some amazing pictures for me this week and I'm very very grateful for his services.

SPICED LAMB:
400g diced lamb
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 dried red chilli
1 teaspoon sea salt
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

ROASTED RHUBARB:
3 thick stalks of rhubarb
1 teaspoon sugar
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

SALSA VERDE:
1 small handful of rocket
1 small handful flat parsley
2 sprigs of mint
2 tablespoons fine capers
1 tablespoon dijon mustard
2 cloves garlic
2 anchovies
1 red chilli
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
100ml extra virgin olive oil

500g of fresh broad beans
100g baby spinach washed

METHOD:
First thing is to make the lamb, place a small pan over a medium heat and add the cumin seeds and dried chilli broken into several smaller piece's and toast till the cumin becomes fragrant then remove from heat. Place the cumin, chilli and salt in a mortar and pestle and ground together till a powder forms. Place the lamb in a baking tray and sprinkle with the cumin spice and drizzle with olive oil and mix together with your hands rubbing the spice mix into the lamb. Cover the tray with foil and place in oven set at 180oC for 25 minutes.
While lamb is roasting wash the rhubarb and cut into 5cm length piece's and lay over a baking tray with sugar and olive oil and roast in the oven with lamb for 20minutes.
In the mean time bring a pot of water to the boil and start shelling the broad beans from the pod, place in boiling water for 3 minutes then drain and blanch under cold water. The outer skin of the broad beans will have turned a pale grey colour, pinch one end of the broad bean skin with your fingers and the fleshy part of the broad bean will pop out. Keep the vibrant green flesh of the broad beans and discard the grey shells.
To make the Salsa Verde place all ingredients in a food processor and blend together for 1 minute.
Once the lamb has cooled slightly and rested its time to construct the salad, lay out half the spinach leaves followed by torn piece's of rhubarb. Lay out several piece's of lamb and sprinkle the top with broad beans and finally drizzle some of the Salsa Verde all over the top of salad. Repeat the layer and serve as soon as possible.