Moroccan Lamb Tagine

Wednesday, 29 June 2011

As I wrote yesterday, the lamb has been  in the fridge overnight absorbing the lovely spices.  This is an Antony Worral Thompson recipe for Moroccan Lamb Tagine and one of my favourite recipes.  I came across it in a magazine some years ago.  Over the years I have tweaked the recipe and always make a double lot so that I can freeze half of it.  It freezes extremely well.
The lamb is really succulent at this time of year and I purchase it locally from an independent butcher.  The meat is totally traceable, which I prefer. It is good to know that the animals have the freedom to enjoy the lush grass of our area. No lengthy air miles here!
There are quite a few ingredients in this recipe but it is well worth the effort to make.
The aroma from this dish is  filling the kitchen and tickles my nostrils! A great meal to come!
I  will serve this with plain cous cous. My husband enjoys this recipe as much as I do; in fact, he enjoys me experimenting with a wide range of recipes.

When I invited our neighbours for a get-together I made a double batch and served it with a fruity cous cous, green bean salad as well as plain cous cous and naan bread. It went down well and some asked for the recipe.

As with all stews and casseroles, this dish has a more intense flavour if served the following day. When cooked, cool quickly and put in the fridge.  Reheat in a covered casserole in the oven, ensuring it is heated through thoroughly. Great for entertaining as all the work is done the day before.

If you go to the Irish Food Board website - Bord Bia - you can download some Antony Worral Thompson's recipes or look on BBC Food for this recipe.

Delicious!

Jam Making 2

All of the jam has set and is ready for use. Apart from personal use, it makes a welcome gift for friends and family or donating to a charity stall. The redcurrant jelly has reached setting point and is cooling.
There are some points to remember when making jam:

• Use fresh fruits - slightly under ripe rather than over ripe (there is a higher pectin content which helps in the setting process).
• Add water to harder fruits (plums etc) There are plenty of recipes available for jam making.
• Simmer until the fruit is tender
• Remove from heat and stir in the sugar until dissolved
• Return to the heat and bring to the boil until a set is obtained
• After about twenty minutes put a small spoonful onto a chilled saucer and leave to cool
• When the finger is pushed against this sample it will wrinkle if it is at setting point. You may need to do this two or three times.
• Pour jam into warm, sterilised jars and cover with waxed disks and lids. Cling film is okay if you do not have jam pot covers.
• Store in a cool, dark place until you wish to use it. Keeps at least twelve months.
• Enjoy!

Jam Making

The recent rains and warm sunshine have swelled the soft fruits in my garden.  I have picked loganberries, gooseberries, redcurrants etc and prepared them for jam making.  Most just need a wash in the colander but the gooseberries need topping and tailing!
It has been quite manic in my kitchen today as I prepared the fruits and made jam. I had three pans on the go at a time. 

Gooseberries simmering

 Although I have made jams and jellies for years I do not possess a preserving pan. I like to improvise! I use my largest saucepans and a large cast iron casserole. 
The gooseberries were put on to simmer first as they need longer to cook to soften the tough outer skin. The second pan contained raspberries and loganberries whilst the third had the redcurrants.  Redcurrants can be extremely fiddly to remove from the stalks but this is unnecessary as I make redcurrant jelly to serve with lamb or to add to various sauces etc. (Sometimes I 'paint' redcurrant jelly on a rack of lamb and then add herbs and breadcrumbs to make a herb crust - it is also nice to stir a spoonful into the gravy served with liver and onions).


Gooseberry
Raspberry & Loganberry



When the fruits were cooked I added the sugar and stirred well until it dissolved then brought it back to the boil and boiled until it reached setting point. I will write about that at another time. The redcurrant was treated differently to the other jams. The redcurrants were cooked on their stalks  then I strained them through muslin. I  will leave the juice to drip overnight. This process ensures a clear jelly. Tomorrow I will measure the juice and add sugar accordingly and bring to the boil until a set is obtained.  (1 pint of juice to 1lb sugar).

The jams have been put into a variety of recycled jars which I sterilised.  This evening I will make the labels and add the date then store them in a cool cupboard for use throughout the coming year.

Over the coming weeks the remaining fruits will be harvested and will be frozen to use in tarts, pies, crumbles etc.

Growing fruit is simple; they need little care, just an annual prune to cut back the growth - mostly this year's fruiting stems. The only cost in producing the jams and jellies is the sugar and electricity!

The flavour is out of this world, far superior to the best quality supermarket jams and jellies. Why not give it a go!

As if I hadn't done enough today, I also prepared some diced lamb and marinated it in a mixture of spices to make a Moroccan Lamb Tagine tomorrow. This is sitting in the fridge and the meat will take up the flavour of the spices before I cook it.  More about that tomorrow.

Fresh Fruit Salad

Just made a scrummy fresh fruit salad. The golden pinapples are delicious at the moment - sweet and juicy and only £1 each. I prepared a nice ripe mango, half the pineapple, a pear and a small bunch of red seedless grapes and popped them in a bowl. I picked a handful of loganberries fresh from the garden and  lightly poached them with a little sugar (as they are very tart) and, when cooled, added them to the bowl.  They give the fruit salad a real smack. Served with a dollop of creme fraiche this will make a delicious and healthy dessert.

Fresh Fruit Salad with
Low-fat Creme Fraiche

I am a mere beginner to blogging so hope to make my blogs really exciting when I get to grips with it! I will download pictures and recipes etc.

Wendy's Culinary Delights

Food is my passion.  I have always enjoyed preparing and cooking a wide range of dishes to the delight of family and friends.
Healthy eating has always been my mantra well before it was the 'fashion' to adopt healthy eating and five a day etc.
My garden is another passion and I have a wide range of vegetables and soft fruits growing for use in my kitchen. It is wonderful to go out and pick some beans or spinach and prepare it immediately. Later in the season I will be making pickles, chutneys and jams with the produce from my garden. These will be stored for the winter months.
Cooking is a wonderful hobby and I enjoy making anything from bread to soup, main meals, desserts, cakes and preserves. I like to support our local butcher and local farmers for meat and eggs.
Traditional British food and experimental Continental food feature on my menus.
Why purchase ready meals when good, wholesome meals can be made at home?  They are more natural, nutritionally good and generally cheaper. 
Over the coming months I hope to share some of my culinary delights with you.

Watch this space!