GREEN RICE
I have a master’s degree in chemistry, but when I came to Britain from Iraq it wasn’t easy to combine that with family life, so now the kitchen is my laboratory. With the mixing, pouring and measuring, I feel like I am back in my old world. This is a version of a traditional dish, which I made up. It’s a good centrepiece because the colour is so striking. SERVES 4 500g lamb neck fillet or boneless lamb shoulder, cut into 3cm cubes
1 litre chicken stock (made with 2 stock cubes)
300g basmati rice
250g frozen broad beans
4 tbsp sunflower oil
2 garlic cloves, crushed
40g fresh dill, finely chopped
2 tbsp dried dill
CUCUMBER, DILL & YOGHURT SAUCE
1 cucumber, coarsely grated 500g full-fat natural yoghurt 1 tsp dried dill 1 tbsp olive oil salt and pepper
Place the lamb and stock in a large pan and bring to the boil. Skim off the foam on the surface, reduce the heat to medium-low and gently simmer for 1 hour (or 1½ hours if you are using lamb shoulder), until cooked through.
2 Wash the rice and leave to soak for 30 mins. Blanch the broad beans in a pan of boiling water for 2-3 mins, drain and refresh under cold water. Remove the outer skins.
3 When the lamb is cooked, drain and reserve the stock. Heat half of the oil in a heavybased pan and fry the garlic until it just starts to colour. Add the cooked lamb and fry for 5-6 mins until evenly browned, stirring all the time. Add the broad beans and half of the fresh and dried dill and cook for 2 mins. Transfer to a plate, set aside and keep warm. 4 In the same pan, heat the remaining oil on a low-medium heat. Drain the rice and add to the pan, stirring until all the grains are coated with oil. Add 500ml of the meat stock, bring to a simmer, cover with a tight-fitting lid, then turn the heat to the lowest setting and cook for 30 mins. 5 Meanwhile, make the yoghurt sauce. Mix the grated cucumber and yoghurt in a bowl. Season to taste. Sprinkle with the dried dill and drizzle with the olive oil. 6 When the rice is ready, stir it with a fork to fluff it. Add the rest of the fresh and dried dill, the reserved meat and broad beans, and stir gently. Add a little of the reserved stock if you need extra moisture and cook on a low heat for about 8 mins. Serve immediately, with the cucumber, dill and yoghurt sauce.