Serves 4
INGREDIENTS
1 tbsp light soy sauce
700ml/1/1/4 pints/3 cups Basic Stock
2 tsp Chinese rice wine or dry sherry
1 tbsp rice vinegar
1/2 tsp sesame oil
salt and ground white pepper, to taste
225g/8oz lamb steak
1 piece cucumber, 7.5cm/3in long

Trim off any excess fat from the lamb and discard. Thinly slice the lamb into small pieces. Marinate with the soy sauce, wine or sherry and

sesame oil for 25-30 minutes. Discard the marinade.

Halve the cucumber piece lengthways (do not peel), then cut into thin slices diagonally.

In a wok or saucepan, bring the stock to a rolling boil, add the lamb and stir to separate. Return to the boil, then add the cucumber slices,

vinegar and seasonings. Bring to the boil once more, and serve at once.

Serves 4
INGREDIENTS
350-400g/12-14 oz leg of lamb fillet
1 tsp light brown sugar
1 tbsp light soy sauce
1 tbsp Chinese rice wine or dry sherry
2 tsp cornflour (cornstarch) paste
15g/1/2oz dried black fungus (wood-ears)
6-8 spring onions (scallions)
about 300m1/1/2 pint/1/1/4 cups vegetable oil
few small pieces fresh ginger
2 tbsp yellow bean sauce
few drops sesame oil

Slice the lamb thinly. Marinate with the sugar, soy sauce, wine and cornflour
(cornstarch) paste for 30—45 minutes. Soak the fungus for 25—30 minutes, then cut into small pieces with the spring onions (scallions).

Heat the oil in a preheated wok until hot and stir-fry the meat for about 1 minute, or until the colour changes. Remove with a perforated spoon and drain.

Keep about 1 tbsp of oil in the wok, then add the spring onions (scallions), ginger, fungus and yellow bean sauce. Blend well, then add the

meat and stir for about 1 minute. Sprinkle with the sesame oil.

Serves
INGREDIENTS
350-400g/12-l4oz leg of lamb fillet
1 tbsp yellow bean sauce
vegetable oil, for deep-frying
1/2 tsp finely-chopped fresh ginger
1 tbsp light soy sauce
1 tbsp Chinese rice wine or dry sherry
2 tbsp rice vinegar
2 tbsp light brown sugar
3-4 tbsp Basic Stock or water
1 tbsp cornflour (cornstarch) paste
1/2 tsp sesame oil

Cut the lamb into thin slices each about the size of an oblong postage stamp. In a bowl, marinate the lamb with the yellow bean
sauce for 35—40 minutes.

In a wok, deep-fry the lamb in the hot oil for about 30-^40 seconds or until the colour changes. Remove with a perforated spoon and drain.

Pour off the excess oil, leaving about 9 tbsp in the wok. Add the ginger and the remaining ingredients and stir until smooth. Add the lamb, blend well and serve.

Makes 20-25
INGREDIENTS
450g/1 lb lean minced (ground) beef or lamb
2 tbsp finely-ground ginger
2 tbsp finely-ground garlic
4 green chillies, finely chopped
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 egg
1/2 tsp turmeric
1 tsp garam masala
50g/2oz coriander leaves, chopped
4-6 mint leaves, chopped, or 1/2 tsp mint
175g/6oz raw potato
salt, to taste
vegetable oil, for deep-frying

Place the first 10 ingredients in a large bowl. Grate the potato into the bowl, and season with salt. Knead together to blend well and form a soft dough.

Shape the mixture into portions the size of golf balls. Leave to rest for about 25 minutes.

In a wok or frying pan, heat the or medium-hot and fry the koftas in sr batches until they are golden brown in cok Drain well and serve hot.

Serves 4

INGREDIENTS

1 kg/2 lb leg of lamb
3 garlic cloves, peeled
2-3 rosemary sprigs, chopped
7 tablespoons olive oil
2 canned anchovies, soaked in milk and drained
3-4 tablespoons wine vinegar
salt and pepper

Make small incisions in the lamb and insert a slice of garlic and a few rosemary leaves into each one.

Heat half of the oil in a large flameproof casserole, add 1 garlic clove and fry until browned. Remove the garlic, then add the meat to the

casserole. Fry the meat over a moderate heat, turning until browned on all sides. Sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste. Cover and cook in a

preheated oven at 190°C/375°F/Gas Mark 5 for 1/1/2 hours or until tender, basting and turning frequently.

Pound the rosemary, the remaining garlic and the anchovies using a pestle and mortar, then stir in the remaining oil and the vinegar.

Transfer the meat to a warmed serving dish. Add the rosemary mixture to the casserole and simmer until reduced. Pour the juices over the meat and serve immediately.

SERVES EIGHT

INGREDIENTS

1kg/2 1/4lb lamb on the bone
8 garlic cloves, chopped
2.5-5ml/ 1/2-1 tsp ground cumin
45ml/3 tbsp olive oil
juice of 1 lemon
2 onions, thinly sliced
about 500ml/17fl oz/2 1/4 cups
lamb, beef or vegetable stock 75-90ml/5-6 tbsp tomato puree (paste)
1 cinnamon stick
2-3 large pinches of ground all spice or ground cloves
15-30ml/1-2 tbsp sugar
400g/14oz/scant 3 cups green beans
salt and ground black pepper
15-30ml/1-2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley, to garnish

Preheat the oven to 160°C/325°F/Gas 3. Coat the lamb with the garlic, cumin, olive oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper.

Heat a flameproof casserole. Sear the lamb on all sides. Add the onions and pour the stock over the meat to cover. Stir in the tomato puree, spices and sugar. Cover and cook in the oven for 2-3 hours.

Remove the casserole from the oven and pour the stock into a pan. Move the onions to the side of the dish and return to the oven, uncovered, for 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, add the beans to the hot stock and cook until the beans are tender and the sauce has thickened. Slice the meat and serve with the pan juices and beans. Garnish with parsles

SERVES SIX

INGREDIENTS

1.5kg/3 1/4lb leg of lamb
4 garlic cloves, sliced
2 fresh rosemary sprigs
30ml/2 tbsp light olive oil
300ml/ 1/2 pint/ 1 1/4 cups red wine
5ml/ 1 tsp clear honey
45ml/3 tbsp redcurrant jelly
salt and ground black pepper

For the roast potatoes
45ml/3 tbsp white vegetable fat or lard
1.3 kg/31b potatoes, such as Desiree, cut into chunks

For the mint sauce
about 15g/ 1/2oz fresh mint
10ml/2 tsp caster (superfine) sugar
15ml/l tbsp boiling water
30ml/2 tbsp white wine vinegar

Preheat the oven to 220°C/425°F/ Gas 7. Make small slits into the lamb all over the leg. Press a slice of garlic and a few rosemary leaves into each slit, then place the lamb in a roasting pan and season well. Drizzle the oil over the lamb and roast for about 1 hour.

Meanwhile, mix the wine, honey and redcurrant jelly in a small pan and heat, stirring, until the jelly melts. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer until reduced by half. Spoon this glaze over the lamb and return it to the oven for 30-45 minutes.

To make the potatoes, put the fat in a roasting pan on the oven shelf above the meat. Boil the potatoes for about 5-10 minutes, then drain them and fluff up the surface of each with a fork.

Add the prepared potatoes to the hot fat and baste well, then roast them for 40-50 minutes, or until they are crisp.

Meanwhile, make the mint sauce. Place the mint on a chopping board and sprinkle the sugar over the top. Chop the mint finely, then transfer the mint and sugar to a bowl.

Add the boiling water and stir until the sugar has dissolved. Add 15ml/ 1 tbsp vinegar and taste the sauce before adding the remaining vinegar. (You may want to add slightly less or more than the suggested quantity.) Leave the mint sauce to stand until you are ready to serve the meal.

Cover the lamb with foil and set it aside in a warm place to rest for 10-15 minutes before carving. Serve with the crisp roast potatoes, mint sauce and a selection of seasonal vegetables.

COOK’S TIP
To make a quick and tasty gravy from the pan juices, add about 300ml/ 1/2 pint/1 1/4 cups red wine, stock or water and boil, stirring occasionally, until reduced and well-flavoured. Season to taste, then strain into a sauce boat to serve.

SERVES SIX

INGREDIENTS
1kg/2 1/4lb boneless shoulder of lamb, trimmed of fat and cut into 5cm/2in cubes
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
finely grated rind of 1/2 lemon and juice of 1 lemon
90ml/6 tbsp olive oil
45ml/3 tbsp plain (all-purpose) flour
1 large onion, sliced
5 anchovy fillets in olive oil, drained
2.5ml/1/2 tsp caster (superfine) sugar
300ml/1/2 pint/1 1/4 cups white wine
475ml/16fl oz/2 cups lamb stock or half stock and half water
1 fresh bay leaf
fresh thyme sprig
fresh parsley sprig
500g/1 1/4lb small new potatoes
250g/9oz shallots, peeled but left whole
45ml/3 tbsp double (heavy) cream
(optional)
salt and ground black pepper For the gremolata
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
finely shredded rind of 1/2 lemon
45ml/3 tbsp chopped fresh flat leaf parsley

Mix the lamb with the garlic and the rind and juice of 1/2 lemon. Season with pepper and mix in 15ml/1 tbsp olive oil, then leave to marinate for 12-24 hours.

Drain the lamb, reserving the marinade, and pat the lamb dry with kitchen paper. Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/Gas 4.

Heat 30ml/2 tbsp olive oil in a large, heavy frying pan. Season the flour with salt and pepper and toss the lamb in it to coat, shaking off any excess. Seal the lamb on all sides in the hot oil. Do this in batches, transferring each batch of lamb to an ovenproof pan or flameproof casserole as you brown it. You may need to add an extra 15ml/1 tbsp olive oil to the pan.

Reduce the heat, add another 15ml/ 1 tbsp oil to the pan and cook the onion gently over a very low heat, stirring frequently, for 10 minutes, until softened and golden but not browned. Add the anchovies and caster sugar and cook, mashing the anchovies into the soft onion with a wooden spoon.

Add the reserved marinade, increase the heat a little and cook for about 1-2 minutes, then pour in the wine and stock or stock and water and bring to the boil. Simmer gently for about 5 minutes, then pour over the lamb.

Tie the bay leaf, thyme and parsley together and add to the lamb. Season with salt and pepper, then cover tightly and cook in the oven for 1 hour. Stir the potatoes into the stew and cook for a further 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, to make the gremolata, chop all the ingredients together finely. Place in a dish, cover and set aside.

Heat the remaining oil in a frying pan and brown the shallots on all sides, then stir them into the lamb. Cover and cook for a further 30-40 minutes, until the lamb is tender. Transfer the lamb and vegetables to a dish and keep warm. Discard the herbs.

Boil the cooking juices to reduce and concentrate them, then add the cream, if using, and simmer for 2-3 minutes. Adjust the seasoning, adding a little lemon juice to taste. Pour this sauce over the lamb, sprinkle the gremolata on top and serve immediately.

COOK’S TIP
A mezzaluna (double-handled, half-moon shaped, curved chopping blade) makes a very good job of chopping gremolata ingredients. If using a food processor or electric chopper, take care not to overprocess the mixture as it is easy to reduce the ingredients to a paste.