Slow Cooked Lamb, Artichoke & Olive Stew

This is a hearty, yet not at all heavy, amalgam of seasons - chunks of lamb shoulder are braised until meltingly tender in white wine and tomatoes while artichokes, vibrant green olives and the mint scattered over keep it fresh and lively.

This is perfect really for that between season time of later winter and early spring when warmer days start to feel a reality. But honestly, as I post this in the middle of summer it would be pretty good now too.


Lamb, Artichoke & Olive Stew
serves 2

400g lamb shoulder, trimmed of fat and cut into 1-2 in. chunks
1-2 tbsp olive oil, divided
1 small onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, crushed
tin / carton chopped plum tomatoes
75ml dry white wine
125ml lamb stock
pinch of cinnamon
50g green olives (I used Nocellara del Belice), pitted halved
tin artichokes rinsed and halved
zest and juice of ½ lemon
2.5g fresh mint leaves, julienned

Season the lamb with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Heat about ½ tbsp of olive oil in a heavy bottomed frying or sauté pan over a medium heat and brown the meat on all sides in batches, adding a little more oil to the pan between batches if necessary. Transfer to the slow cooker.

Add another tbsp of oil to the pan and over a low-medium heat, sauté the onion with a little pinch of salt for about 5 minutes until the onion is slightly browned. Add the garlic and continue to sauté for a minute or two until fragrant.

Turn up the heat and add the wine, allowing it to bubble up. Scrape up any stuck on bits to the pan and after a minutes or so add the contents of the pan to the slow cooker.

Add the tomatoes, cinnamon and stock to the slow cooker and put on low for 6 hours.

After 5 hours stir in the olives.

Finally, add the artichokes, lemon zest and juice in the last half hour.

Adjust the seasoning as needed and serve, dividing the stew between warmed bowls and garnish with the fresh mint. The stew can be served on its own with a good piece of bread to mop up the juices or over polenta, couscous, potatoes...

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Marinated BBQ Lamb Chops with Greek Salad

Back from my Grandmother’s 90th birthday shindig in Wiltshire the weather was absolutely glorious and I really fancied a nice crisp and refreshing salad. But I also fancied cheese. And meat.

BBQ lamb chops with a Greek salad (minus cucumber as of course I pathologically detest it) seemed to fit the bill perfectly so we scooted up to the supermarket to get the necessaries.

Ideally of course the lamb would marinate for a good deal longer than an hour but this was all the time I had. Regarding the marinade, use fresh normal thyme rather than lemon thyme by all means and if you can’t get Greek basil try fresh oregano or even dried (only use 1 tsp if the latter).

To my Greek salad as well as omitting cucumber I wanted to add some leaves to bulk it out a bit as we were both starving. You can add it or leave it out as you like but I found a Nigella recipe that I have used here which does include lettuce.

Greek Salad
serves 2-3

½ red onion
1½ tsp dried oregano
black pepper
2 tbsp red wine vinegar
100 ml extra virgin olive oil
2-3 medium tomatoes
½ tsp caster sugar
small pinch sea salt (I used celery sea salt)
1 ruby gem (or normal gem) lettuce
12 kalamata olives
200 grams feta cheese, crumbled into rough chunks.
juice of ½ lemon

Peel and finely slice the red onion then sprinkle over the oregano and grind over some pepper.

Pour in the vinegar and oil and toss well, cover with clingfilm and leave to steep for as long as possible - it should be for at least two hours but I forgot so it was only for about 30 mins!

When you are ready to eat, get the BBQ on and get started with the rest of the salad.

Cut the tomatoes into quarters, then cut each quarter into quarters lengthwise again and then crosswise. Sprinkle the sugar and a pinch of salt over them and leave to one side.

Tear the lettuce into big pieces and put into a large, wide salad bowl.

Add the olives and the feta and toss well.

Now add the tomatoes, the red onion along with its marinade-dressing and the lemon juice. Toss gently, but thoroughly, so that everything is well combined.

Serve alongside the lamb chops.

Marinated BBQ Lamb Chops
serves 2

3 tbsp olive oil
juice of 1 lemon
3 cloves garlic, crushed
2 tsp fresh lemon thyme leaves
2 tsp Greek Basil, finely chopped
sea salt & black pepper

4 lamb loin chops

Whisk together the oil, lemon juice, garlic and thyme in a small bowl.

Put the lamb chops in a freezer bag and pour over the lemon juice / oil mixture plus a few grinds of salt & pepper, turning the chops around to coat.

Pop in the fridge marinate for 1 to 1 1/2 hours.

Remove the chops from the refrigerator 20 minutes before grilling. Heat the BBQ to high and grill the chops for 5 to 6 minutes per side for medium doneness. Remove and rest for 2 minutes.

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Baked Chicken with Tomatoes & Brown Rice

This is adapted from an HFW recipe which I saw on the Guardian website and by all accounts is his version of a one pot (well two really, if you’re being picky) chicken cacciatore.

I used brown rice which meant that the total cooking time was at the longer end of the scale but use what you fancy and to ensure a quicker cooking time basmati is a good option or you could try a short grain rice such as arborio.

We really enjoyed this and it is especially good with a nice big, lightly dressed, green salad on the side. 

Baked Chicken with Tomatoes & Brown Rice
Serves 4

1 tbsp olive oil
4-6 bone-in, skin-on chicken portions - I used drumsticks & thighs, seasoned with salt & pepper
1 med-large onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, peeled and chopped
1 red chilli, finely chopped (optional)
scant tsp dried oregano
100g brown (or white) rice
125ml dry white wine
2 tsp tomato purée
400g chopped tinned tomatoes, crushed
350ml chicken stock
100g green (or black) olives

Heat the oven to 180C.

Put a large frying or sauté pan on a fairly high heat and add the oil. Brown the chicken pieces well in two batches. Transfer to an ovenproof dish, skin side up, and roast in the oven for 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, turn the heat down to low under the frying pan, pouring off any excess fat if necessary so you have around a tablespoon left.

Add the onions and cook gently for 10 minutes until soft and translucent. Add the garlic, chili and oregano and cook for a few minutes more.

Stir in the rice for a minute or two then turn the heat up and add the wine. Simmer for a couple of minutes, stirring, until the liquid has evaporated.

Stir in the tomato purée, then add the tinned tomatoes and stock, and bring back to a boil.

Season carefully to taste.

Tip the tomatoey rice into the chicken dish, scraping off any grains of rice that may be on top of the chicken (they won’t cook up there).

Scatter in the olives, and roast for 30-60 minutes longer (as I mentioned this will be type-of-rice dependent).

When the rice is tender remove from the oven and leave to sit for 10 minutes before serving.

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Moussaka

Moussaka is one of those things that I have wanted to cook for absolutely ages (well since I decided that I quite like aubergines after all) and have just never got around to.

I must have been in a particularly nostalgic mood recently as similar to the last recipe I was inspired by my holiday in Corfu with friends and while researching recipes wanted to try and replicate the one I had there as best I could (in short, layers of aubergine and potato with not too much bechamel: very important). It became apparent that lamb, as I had assumed, isn’t the traditional meat to use at all. Veal it seems, or at least a mixture of veal & pork is the way to go. Maybe beef & pork.

Oh well, I’m all for authenticity if I can manage it but in this case I’m sticking with lamb. For a start I love it and personally I think it marries best with the cinnamon and herbs in use. I think that hand minced, or at the very least finely chopped, lamb shoulder or leg roast leftovers would work fantastically well here but sadly, for this attempt, shop bought mince it is.

The next main ingredient is, of course, aubergine. Now these days pre-salting aubergines isn’t required if your intention is to leach out bitter juices as the fact is that bitterness has been bred out of modern aubergines. BUT, salting will in fact help the aubergines to soak up less oil. And what you don’t want is an overly oily moussaka.

Many recipes don’t call for potatoes in the moussaka which to be honest I find a little odd as whenever I have eaten moussaka on Greek islands they are always included and always serve to make it more delicious. Maybe that’s the Irish in me. Regardless, there was no way I was omitting a few slices of spud.

I didn’t want bechamel either and saw a recipe where greek yoghurt and eggs are mixed together with a dash of nutmeg for a sort of custardy topping: sounds a bit weird but I decided to give it a go.

And finally do allow your moussaka to rest a while once out of the oven: it will be easier to cut and serve for a start plus I believe that the flavours become more pronounced when it isn’t blisteringly hot.


Moussaka
Serves 4, generously

2 tbsp olive oil plus a little extra
1 large aubergine, thinly sliced, salted and drained
2 potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced
1 large onion, finely chopped
2-4 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
1 cinnamon stick or 1 tsp ground
1 bay leaf
1 tsp fresh oregano leaves
500g minced lamb
200g passata
1 tsp tomato pureé
½ beef oxo cube
150ml white wine
Small bunch of flat-leaf parsley, chopped
For the topping

150g Greek yoghurt
1 egg, beaten
40g feta, crumbled
20g parmesan, grated
nutmeg

Pre-heat the oven to 180C.

Place the aubergine and potato slices onto oiled baking sheets, brush with olive oil and season with a little sea salt and black pepper. Bake for about 25 minutes until golden.

Meanwhile, put 2 tbsp olive oil into a large sauté pan over a medium heat and cook the onion until soft and translucent. About 10-15 minutes.

Add the garlic, cinnamon and oregano and cook for a further couple of minutes.

Stir in the lamb and turn the heat up slightly to brown the lamb well, cooking until the mixture is quite dry. Break down the lamb further as needed with the back of a wooden spoon.

Stir in the crumbled stock cube, tomato passata, pureé and wine, bring to a simmer.

Turn the heat down low and cook for as long as possible but as a minimum 30–40 minutes until most of the liquid has evaporated. Season and stir in the parsley.

Meanwhile, make the topping by beating the eggs into the yoghurt. Liberally grate in some nutmeg and stir through the feta and half the parmesan.

Grease the sides and bottom of a baking dish with olive oil and cover the bottom completely with a layer of potato, overlapping where necessary to ensure as complete a covering as possible.

Top this with half of the meat mixture, using a spoon to spread out and cover the potato completely.

If you have any potato left over, spread them out in a layer over the meat. Otherwise add the aubergine slices in a layer over the meat, again overlapping the slices to ensure coverage.

Spread the remaining meat mixture out evenly to cover the aubergine layer and then top this with the cheesy yoghurt sauce. Sprinkle the remaining parmesan over the top.

Bake for about 45 minutes until well browned and then leave to stand for 30 minutes before serving.

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Lamb & Rice Stuffed Tomatoes

I had some lamb leftover after last night's dinner but wasn't sure what to do with it and for some reason I didn't really fancy pasta (and that never usually happens). On the way back work wandering around the supermarket I came across some beefsteak tomatoes - now these aren't something I would usually buy as they're generally fairly tasteless but these looked red, ripe and juicy and just right for filling with some herby meat & rice.

Tomatoes stuffed with lamb, rice and herbs

Serves 2

2 beef tomatoes

small pinch sugar

2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

small onion, finely chopped

2 garlic cloves, finely chopped

100g minced lamb

½ tsp ground cinnamon

1 tbsp tomato purée

25g long grain rice

50ml chicken stock

2 tbsp chopped dill

1 tbsp chopped flat-leaf parsley

1½ tsp chopped mint

Heat oven to 180C (I think that's about 160C for fan and Gas Mark 4).

Slice the tops off the tomatoes and put to one side. Scoop out the pulp from the tomatoes carefully with a teaspoon, making sure you don’t break the skin. Leave a shell of about ½ cm thick.

Finely chop the pulp (discarding any overly fibrous bits) and put in a bowl to one side along with any juices.

Sprinkle the insides of the tomatoes with a little sugar (this will take away the acidity), then place them on a baking tray.

Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a large frying pan, add the onion, then gently cook for about 5 minutes. Add the chopped garlic and cook for a further 5 until both are soft and translucent (don’t let them colour - a small sprinkle of salt can help).

Add the lamb & cinnamon turn up the heat, then fry until the meat is browned. Add the tomato purée and tomato pulp with the juices, the rice and the stock. Season generously.

Bring to the boil, then simmer for 15 mins or until the rice is tender and the liquid has been absorbed. Take off the heat then cool for a few minutes before stirring in the herbs.

Stuff the tomatoes with the meat & lamb mixture then pop their lids on and drizzle over the remaining olive oil.

Put 3 tbsp water into the tray, then bake for 35 mins.

Serve hot or cold with salad and, if you like, crusty bread.

Edit: A nice variation would be a little cubed feta mixed in with the lamb / rice mixture, substituting the dill for some fresh oregano.
Also, I had one of these the next day at room temperature with some salad: resting a day definitely made them a lot more flavourful so I would recommend cooking ahead if at all possible (although they're still very good if you can't).

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Seared squid & chorizo with chickpea purée

I really fancied trying out a squid recipe from Economy Gastronomy over the weekend so it seemed a good time to check out Green Lanes Fisheries, a popular fishmongers between Palmers Green and Wood Green.

As it turned out it wasn't really a well planned visit at all: I already had some salmon at home marinating for dinner (more on that to come) and I knew I was going to be out on Sunday.  There was so much great fish & seafood that it seemed a bit of a wasted visit to only come back with squid.

But anyway, I'd decided to try the seared squid & chorizo and was looking forward to my al fresco lunch before getting stuck in to some gardening - my version below is adapted to be a little less fat and calorie-laden (way less olive oil for instance) but is still pretty tasty.  In the book they list this as a starter but I used all the chickpea puree to make it a pretty substantial lunch.. it certainly gave me enough energy to do lots of heavy digging in the veg patch!


Seared Squid & Chorizo
Serves 2 generously

400g tin chickpeas
2 tsps ground cumin
a large pinch chilli flakes
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
4 tbsp Total 0% Greek yoghurt
4 tbsp water
1 tbsp chopped coriander
250g prepared & cleaned squid, cut into rings
120g cooking chorizo cut into diagonal slices about 1.5cm thick
12 cherry tomatoes, halved
juice of ½ lemon
mixed leaves to serve

Drain the chickpeas and put them in a food processor with the cumin, 1 of the cloves of garlic (chopped) and the chilli. Pulse until the chickpeas are coarsely chopped and then add 2 tbsp of the yoghurt, the water and olive oil. Process until it has made a smoothish purée then add a generous pinch of salt and puree a bit longer.

Mix the other 2bsp of yoghurt with the chopped coriander, cover and place in the fridge while you continue.

Heat a medium, heavy bottomed frying pan with a splash of olive oil and fry the chorizo until it colours and chars in places. Set aside but keep the paprika coloured oil. Turn the heat up to high and when it is very hot throw in the squid.

Fry the squid for about 3 minutes - if the pan is hot enough it won't need any longer and any longer will almost certainly see it get rubbery. It will get a little firmer and more opaque and a little seared in places.

Add the chorizo back to the pan along with the tomatoes, the other chopped garlic clove & the lemon juice. Toss everything together and remove from the heat.

Put a large dollop of chickpea purée on each plate and spoon round the contents of the pan (including the highly flavoured oil). Put a large handful of mixed leaves on the plate along with a few blobs of coriander yoghurt and serve. Preferable outside, in the sun, with a spicy virgin mary.

Polly kindly on the lookout for any marauding
squid thieves

While Jack takes an altogether more laid-back approach

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