BRAISED LAMB WITH APRICOTS

Serves 4 (See page 149)

1 tbsp olive oil

1 red large onion, finely sliced 600g lamb neck fillet or shoulder,

trimmed and thickly sliced 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped Large pinch of saffron, soaked

in a little warm water

½ tsp ground cinnamon

1 tsp ground ginger

1 sprig of rosemary

Sea salt and freshly ground

black pepper 100g dried apricots

A few sprigs of flat-leaf parsley

or mint, roughly torn

TO SERVE

150g couscous

15g slice of butter

Juice of 1 orange

A few drops of orange blossom

water (optional)

25g toasted almonds

1. Heat the olive oil in the pressure cooker. Add the onion and sauté on a high heat until it starts to brown around the edges. Add the lamb and the garlic and cook until the lamb has taken on some colour. Stir in the spices and rosemary and season with plenty of salt and pepper.

2. Add 150ml water to the cooker along with half the apricots. Close the lid and bring up to high pressure. Cook for 10 minutes, then release pressure naturally. Add the remaining apricots to the cooker and return to high pressure. Cook for another 5 minutes and again, leave to drop pressure naturally. Serve garnished with a little parsley or mint.

3. Put the couscous in a bowl with the butter. Measure the orange juice and make up with hot water to 175ml. Add a few drops of orange blossom water if you like. Pour over the couscous and leave to stand until all the water has absorbed. Fluff up and garnish with the almonds.

VARIATION:

To turn into a one-pot with less meat: reduce the amount of lamb by half and cook at high pressure for 15 minutes. Add 250g root vegetables or squash, 250g cooked chickpeas (garbanzo beans) and 1 sliced red pepper with the second batch of apricots. Bring up to high pressure for 2 minutes and naturally release again.

A FEW MINUTES IS ALL IT TAKES TO CREATE AN EASY VERSION OF traditional VIETNAMESE BEEF PHO CASSEROLE THAT IS AS nutritious AS IT IS delicious