Mary had a little lamb…

Here on the island, we have very traditional culture, especially when it come to our food. With our crofting way of life we have produced our own food for centuries, ensuring fresh food from croft to table. Lamb is the most common produce when it comes to the crofting community and one of the most tasty. Nothing beats a leg of lamb for Sunday lunch!

When it comes to the culinary world, the possibilities with lamb is endless. Joints can be roasted with a little rosemary and thyme and served on a Sunday. Joints can be boiled in a pan along with some barley and potatoes to make soup, just like Granny used to make. The meat can be minced and mixed together with some fresh spinach and ricotta cheese to make the most delicious, juicy burgers. Roasted, boiled, minced or stewed – the choice is yours.

Here, I have a recipe for a Lamb cassoulet, with a twist. This lamb cassoulet is a modern day take on a traditional stew. The recipe was originally showcased over in Shawbost in 2016 as part of a four week cookery class with the Horshader Community group. During this block of classes, a wide variety of dishes were showcased, including fish dishes and puddings.

So, this is my Lamb and Apricot Cassolet with Cauliflower Fried Rice. This dish so easy to make and most of these ingredients can be found in the spice rack and once prepared, can be left to simmer on the hob or even thrown together in the slow cooker. Good luck!

Lamb and Apricot Cassolet with Cauliflower Fried Rice

Ingredients: Serves 4

800g Diced Lamb

50g Butter

150g Dried Apricots, halved

2 White Onions, sliced thinly

2 Large Garlic cloves, crushed

1 tsp Tomato Purée

½ tsp Turmeric

¼ tsp Chilli Powder

500ml Chicken Stock

¼ tsp Paprika

¼ tsp Tarragon

¼ tsp Oregano

1 Red Pepper, sliced thinly

1 Yellow Pepper, sliced thinly

1 Orange, sliced thinly

50ml Lea and Perrins Sauce

Handful of fresh Coriander

Salt

Pepper

1 Large Cauliflower

50ml Olive Oil

• Melt the butter into a large pan. Add the diced lamb and cook on a medium heat for 10 minutes. Add the tomato purée, dried herbs and spices, garlic, mixed peppers and onions. Mix thoroughly before adding the apricots, Lea and Perrins sauce and the chicken stock. Cook on a low heat for about 1 hour until the lamb in tender. Season accordingly.

• For the cauliflower fried rice, remove the leaf from the cauliflower and trim. Remove the florets and place into a food processor and blitz until it reassembles cous-cous. On a medium heat, stir fry to the cauliflower in the Olive Oil for a few minutes, seasoning with salt and pepper.
• Once the lamb is cooked, finish with chopped coriander and serve along side the cauliflower fried rice.

I’d love to see what you create! Upload a picture to Instagram and tag me at @TheNiseachChef or use the hashtag #TheNiseachChef