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Lamb with Christmas spices

By Sara Buenfeld

Keep this in the freezer ready for dinner parties and serve it with rice and salad or crunchy potatoes and vegetables

Prep:20 mins
Cook:1 hrs

Serves 6
Easy

Nutrition per serving

kcal 699
fat 43g
saturates 18g
carbs 25g
sugars 22g
fibre 5g
protein 56g
salt 0.82g

Ingredients

2 large onions, finely chopped
4 garlic cloves, sliced
5cm fresh root ginger, shredded
2 tbsp olive oil
1½ kg lean lamb neck fillets, cut into chunks
2 cinnamon sticks
8 cloves
6 cardamom pods
good pinch saffron
2 bay leaves
2 tsp ground coriander
3 tbsp ground almonds
850ml beef stock
250g pack ready-to-eat dried apricots

Tip

Braised beef with prunes
Replace lamb with diced stewing steak and apricots with pitted prunes and some whole shallots. Omit saffron and cinnamon and add 2 tbsp red wine vinegar. Expect to simmer for about 30 mins more until the meat is tender.

Method

Fry the onions, garlic and ginger in the oil for about 15 mins. Add the lamb and stir-fry until browned. Add the spices, cook over the heat to release their flavours, then add the almonds. Pour in the stock and season to taste.
Cover the pan and simmer for 45 mins, stirring occasionally. Add the apricots, then simmer 15 mins more until the lamb is tender. Thin with a little water if the sauce starts to get too thick.
To freeze, cool, then pack into a freezer container or bags. Will keep for up to 3 months. Thaw for 6 hrs in the fridge, then reheat in a pan until bubbling hot.

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