SPICED LAMB WITH GREEK STYLE COUSCOUS

SERVES 4

INGREDIENTS

■ 1kg diced lamb shoulder or stewing lamb

■ 1 tbsp dried chilli flakes

■ 1 tbsp coriander powder

■ 1 tbsp cumin

■ 1 tbsp fennel seeds

■ 300ml white wine

■ 500ml chicken stock

■ 2 tbsp gravy granules

■ 120g couscous

■ ½ chicken stock cube, grated

■ 1 red onion, sliced

■ 50g black olives

■ ½ cucumber, sliced

■ 20g feta cheese

■ 3 tbsp olive oil

■ A handful of mint leaves

■ A handful of coriander leaves

■ Zest and juice of 1 lime

METHOD

Start by preheating the oven to 150c. Place a shallow casserole dish on the heat and add some vegetable oil. Get the pan smoking hot.

Add the diced lamb and caramelise all over. This may have to be done in two batches in order not to overload the pan. Season with salt and pepper.

Once the lamb is brown, add the chilli, coriander, cumin and fennel seeds and brown them off while they coat the meat. While the temperature is still high, deglaze the pan with the wine and reduce by half before adding the stock. Place a lid on the dish and place in the oven. Cook for 1.5 hours until the lamb is soft to touch.

While the lamb is cooking, place the cous cous and grated stock cube in a heatproof bowl. Just cover with boiling water from the kettle and place a plate on top of the bowl. Allow to steam for 10 minutes before removing the plate and scraping the couscous with a fork to make it light and airy.

To make the salad, put the red onion and cucumber in a bowl, garnish with the olives and feta cheese and dress with the olive oil. Season with the lime juice.

When the lamb comes out of the oven, place it back on the heat. Add the gravy granules and bring to the boil to thicken the excess juices until they coat the now soft lamb chunks. Turn off the heat and push the lamb to one side of the pan.

Add the cooked couscous to the other side of the pan so it begins to soak up the juices. Garnish with the Greek salad and finish with mint and coriander leaves and the zest of the lime.

Serve to share in the middle of the table with flatbreads or pitas.