Tim & Suzie's Sticky Skewers

These skewers have no photo because we always eat them right away!

Ingredients for marinade:
1 cup maple syrup
3/4 cup white wine vinegar
2 garlic cloves or equivalent minced garlic
1 cup mint leaves chopped
1 cup parsely leaves chopped
12 sprigs Rosemary, half with leaves picked

800g lamb and/or chicken cut up
metal or bamboo skewers
Lemon wedges or juice to serve

Method
Place Maple syrup and vinegar in a saucepan and simmer to reduce by half.
Place in a bowl with the rest of the marinade ingredients and mix well.
Add meat, mix and refrigerate for about 1 hour.
Secure on skewers and cook 3 mins each side on BBQ for medium rare.
Serve with lemon wedges.

Persian Lentil Soup and Abgusht

My friend Eliza recently gave me a book to read called 'Pomegranate Soup' by Marsha Mehran. It contained many delicious Persian recipes within the story of the personal journeys of three sisters who escape Iran on the eve of the revolution and eventually make their way to Ireland. This book was not hard to read so is a nice one to relax to and let yourself imagine the tastes of the warm Persian meals. It was magical and enchanting... with the village people smelling the sweet spices of cinnamon, cardamom and rosewater wafting down their main street as they walked home from work or school. The recipes are quite different from any I have encountered before, so we decided to have a Persian night to cook three of them. Sal, Eliza and I cooked together. Eliza made the Red Lentil Soup for our starter the night before so we would have enough time. We chose "Abgusht" a lamb dish and "Baklava" a sticky aromatic pastry for dessert. We found them to be delightful.

Red Lentil Soup

Ingredients
2 cups dry red lentils
7 large onions, chopped
7 garlic cloves, chopped
1 tsp turneric
4 tsp cumin
olive oil
7 cups chicken broth
3 cups water
salt and pepper
2 tbsp nigella seeds

Method
Cover lentils with water and bring to boil. Cook for 9 minutes. Drain and set aside.
Fry 6 onions, garlic, turmeric and cumin in some olive oil till golden.
Add lentils, broth, water, salt, pepper and nigella seeds. Bring to Boil
Simmer gently for 40minutes.
Meanwhile, fry remaining onion in some olive oil till crisp for garnish.
Serve soup with fried onion and some natural yoghurt sprinkled with more nigella seeds.
Coriander also tastes really nice as a fresh garnish.

Abgusht

Ingredients
5 large onions, chopped
1 tsp turmeric
1 2kg boned leg of lamb, save bone
10 cups of water
1 cup yellow split peas, rinsed twice
1 tsp paprika
4 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
5 large potatoes, peeled, quartered
7 fresh ripe tomatoes, sliced
2 tbsp tomato paste
1 dried lime
pinch of saffron in 7 tbsp hot water
2 tsp advieh*

* equal amounts of crushed organic rose petals, cardamom, cinnamon and cumin

Method
In a large stockpot (cast iron enamelled pot works well) add olive oil, onion and turmeric and fry for a few minutes, then add the lamb and brown all over.
Add water, split peas, paprika and bone. Bring to boil. Lower heat (or place in overn at approximately 165 degrees C) and simmer covered for 2 hours.
Add remaining ingredients. Simmer, covered, for 40 minutes.
Remove bone. Remove all meat and vegetables with a slotted spoon and place into a separate bowl for mashing. This allows some lentils to remain in the broth.
Mash the vegetables with the meat and serve each person a scoop of mash and a separate bowl of broth.
We served the mash on top of a little broth.
Garnish with yoghurt and coriander or tarragon leaves.
We had ciabatta I made with nigella seeds (see olive oil bread recipe) to wipe our bowls clean!

Go to recipe for Baklava.

Thanks Eliza and Sal for cooking with me, it was such a delicious meal.



Mini Pies with Peas

Mini Pies with Peas

Ingredients

Leftover lamb and vegetable stew

1.5 sheets shortcrust pastry

1.5 sheets puff pastry

1 egg, beaten

oregano

pepper

Method

Preheat oven to 180 degree celcius. Spray a muffin tray with olive oil.

Cut circles out of the shortcrust pastry and line the muffin holes.

(I used a large measuring cup, and cookie cutters are useful)

*optional: blind bake these bases if you like a crunchy pie dish by lining with foil and weighing down with beads or rice. Cook for 15 minutes in a 180 celcius oven.

Fill the pies with filling to the brim.

Cut circles that match the top diameter of the muffin holes out of the puff pastry.

(I used my 3/4 measuring cup).

Place each circle on top of each pie base and cut a steam hole in middle.

Pinch sides to join the shortcrust to the puff.

Add extra puff on top (make sure there reamins an steam hole) and paint with eggwash.

Grind pepper and sprinkle oregano on top.

Bake for 30 minutes.

Serve with green peas, tomato sauce and Lager.

Twelve Hour Roasted Saltbush Lamb

Twelve Hour Roasted Saltbush Lamb

Prepare 3-5 days in advance.

Ingredients:

1 Leg of Saltbush Lamb, shank removed (save for a stew)

Spice Paste:
1/4 cup cumin seeds
2 whole garlic heads
2 tbsp sumac
zest of 3 lemons
2 tbsp sea salt flakes

Method:
Dry roast cumin seeds, cool, then coursely pound in a mortar and pestle. Set aside.
Pound garlic in a mortar and pestle with a pinch of sea salt until a course paste forms.
Add the rest of the ingredients and grind to a well mixed paste.

Score top (fat) side of lamb and rub in spice paste.
Marinate for 3-5 days in airtight non-reactive container in the fridge.

Preheat oven to 110 degrees C
Place lamb in a roasting dish (I used a Le Chasseur cast iron enameled dish)
Roast for 12 hours, basting occasionally.
The meat will be falling off the bone and the crust will be crunchy and golden brown.

The crust is absolutely delicious:

I served this with Pistachio & Green Olive Tabbouleh, and Orange and Sesame Wheatberry Salad, as well as the other nice sides:

Roasted Dutch Carrots


Kelly's Pumpkin and Cashew Nut Salad

Roasted Cauliflower with lemon and sumac

Roasted Spuds stuffed with Proscuitto, Sage and Lemon Rind

Massaman Saltbush Lamb

Massaman Saltbush Lamb

Massaman is our favourite Thai curry and it is lovely home-cooked with all the freshly ground spices and coconut milk filling the kitchen with spicy warm aromas. I used locally bought Drovers Choice Saltbush Lamb which is talked about a lot in Dubbo for being of very high quality. Their lambs are grazed on the plant named 'Old Man Saltbush', which grows well out here in Dubbo, and the lamb is full flavoured, juicy and tender with an enduring after taste.

Ingredients

1kg Saltbush Lamb Prime Rump

2 tbsp rice bran oil

1 cup coconut cream

1 cup coconut milk

1 cup chicken stock

2 medium white potatoes, peeled, cut into 3cm pieces

1 carrot, peeled and cut into 2cm pieces

1 cinnamon stick

2 fresh bay leaves

5 cardamom pods, lightly crushed

2 tbsp brown sugar

1 tbsp tamarind paste

1 tbsp fish sauce

2 Star anise

1/3 cup unsalted peanuts

Curry Paste:

8 dried long red chillies, deseeded 

1 brown onion, chopped

1 3cm piece of fresh galangal (peeled, chopped) or 1tbsp dried galangal powder

1 stem lemon grass, trimmed, white part chopped

1 tsp shrimp paste

2 tsp ground coriander

1 tsp ground white pepper

3 garlic cloves, chopped 

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1/4 tsp ground cloves

Garnish:

Unsalted peanuts

Fresh coriander

Method

Curry Paste:

Process chillies, shrimp paste, coriander, cumin, cinnamon, cloves, white pepper and 1 tablespoon cold water until smooth. Add remaining ingredients, 1 at a time, blending well after each addition until mixture forms a thick paste.

Massaman Curry:

Preheat fan-forced oven to 150 degrees C.

Dice the Lamb Rump into 3-4cm cubes.

Heat oil in a large stewing pot (I use a French Chasseur enameled cast iron baking dish) over medium-high heat until hot. Add Lamb pieces and seal until evenly browned. Remove from pan and set aside.

 

Add 2 tablespoons coconut cream to pan. Cook over medium heat for 20 seconds or until hot. Add 2 tablespoons of the curry paste. Cook for 1 minute or until aromatic.

Return beef and juices to pan. Add coconut milk, stock, peanuts, potatoes, carrot, cinnamon stick, bay leaves, cardamom pods, sugar, star anise, tamarind concentrate, fish sauce and remaining coconut cream. Stir to combine.

Place in the oven and cook for 1.5 hours on 150 degrees C.

Serve with steamed Jasmine Rice, asian steamed greens and garnishes.

Slow-Roasted Greek Lamb

Slow-Roasted Greek Lamb (w Roasted root vegetables)

Ingredients:
Lamb:
1.2kg leg of lamb cut into sizeable chunks
3 cloves garlic quartered
2 tbsp fresh rosemary
1 tbsp thyme
homemade stock from stubs vegetables and lamb bones
2 tbsp lemon juice
Stock: lamb lower leg bone, bay leaves, vegeta stock cube, extra vegetables.
Root Vegetables:1 potato, sliced in chip wedges
1 parsnip halved lengthways
1 small sweet potato scrubbed but skin left on, sliced in chip wedges
Olive oil & Salt and pepper
Gravy:
Lamb pan juices skimmed of lard
1 tbsp plain flour
1 cup (250ml) water

Mint sauce:
1/2 cup finely chopped fresh mint leaves
1/2 cup malt vinegar or white vinegar
1/4 cup water
2 tablespoons raw sugar

Stock
Method:
1. Put the bone part of the leg (fibular) into a saucepan with water to cover, a vegeta vegetable stock cube, one carrot chopped, some bay leaves, thyme sprigs and pepper. Add extras like half onions and celery. Simmer for an hour, skimming off fat from surface. While this is preparing, open the wine and accompany this with fresh bread dipped in caramelised balsamic vinegar and olive oil for entree.
Slow Roasted Greek Lamb
Method:
1. Preheat oven to 220c/425f. 1
2. Line an oven baking dish or pan with two layers of foil allowing extra over the sides so you can seal it like a package. Place the lamb chunks within.
3. Make slits in the chunks of lamb with a small knife and push in slivers of garlic. Massage olive oil over the flesh to coat so the spices stick, and then sprinkle with salt, pepper, rosemary and thyme.
4. Add 2 tbsp lemon juice and ¼ cup homemade stock. Close the foil to seal in all juices and then wrap again in foil to ensure that it is well sealed.
5. Roast lamb in 220C oven 30 minutes. Reduce temperature to moderate (110C-140C); roast lamb, covered tightly, brushing occasionally with pan juices, further 3 hours or until lamb is extremely tender.
Meanwhile, prepare the vegetables.

Roast Root vegetables
Method:
1. Boil potato and sweet potato in water for 5mins.
2. Drain and toss with other root vegetables in a bowl with olive oil, brown sugar, salt and pepper then add to a baking pan.
3. When lamb has about 1 hour left to roast, place in oven; roast, uncovered, until browned and caramelised.

Gravy
Method:
1. Transfer lamb to serving dish; cover to keep warm.
2. Heat 1 tablespoon of the reserved lamb juices in a saucepan and stir in flour.
3. Cook, stirring, until mixture is well browned. Gradually stir in remaining lamb juices and the water; stir until gravy boils and thickens.

Mint Sauce
Method:
1. Rinse young, healthy mint leaves, strip from the stems, and chop into fine pieces. I usually process most of the leaves with a handheld mixer, with a little of the vinegar, leaving some aside to chop by hand. The processed leaves will be very fine, and infuse a fine flavor, while those done by hand are a little coarser and will be more decoratively visible in the sauce.
2. Bring vinegar and water to a simmer in a small saucepan, add sugar and chopped leaves. Simmer for about 20 minutes to infuse. Add more sugar or add a little water to taste, depending on how strong or how sweet you want the sauce.

Serving
Give each diner a chunk of lamb, served with a colourful array of roasted roots and steamed broccoli on the side. Allow self serving of mint and gravy on table.




A good wine served with this dish is Brokenwood Shiraz.