Easter (Comfort) Sunday

For some reason that I’ve never really worked out, lamb (Spring lamb?) is to Easter as turkey is to Christmas.  Obviously, you are never going to cook a whole joint of lamb for yourself (actually, my lovely brother in law would – and does!) but most of us, even two people, wouldn’t so instead I am going to give you a posh lamb stew that you pop in the oven for a couple of hours – giving you plenty of time to go out and roll your eggs down the hill – and, of course, a chocolate dessert.

Lamb Tagine (a Moroccan stew, so called because of the special cooking pot they use – but any casserole dish will do if you haven’t – even a slow cooker) with Harissa Jam

• olive oil
• 1 red onion
• 1 – 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon (or a stick if you have)
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
• 250 grams diced lamb
• 1 tin chopped tomatoes
• 300 ml stock
• 1 teaspoon sugar

Traditional tagines have chopped apricots and/or prunes  and/or dates – it’s up to you whether you want to – it will still taste good!  Add them with the tomatoes.

Heat the oil in a deep pan and fry the onions till beginning to colour. Add the garlic and all the ground spices (if using a cinnamon stick put in last). Season the lamb and add to the pot and cook, stirring, for 5 minutes.  Add the chopped tomatoes and stock and put in the oven at 160 oC for 2 – 3 hours until tender.  If it looks like getting too dry add some more stock. If too “wet” at the end (but the meat is cooked) put it back on top of the stove and cook uncovered till thickened.

Serve with flatbreads or a baked potato, scattering chopped parsley and/or coriander over.  Chopped pistachios and pomegranate seeds will make it look really pretty with the jam served on the side to mix into the lamb.

Harrisa Jam

• 3 tomatoes       2 -3 cloves of garlic, chopped      1 -2 teaspoons sugar
• olive oil
• 1 – 2 teaspoons harrisa paste (you should still have some from the last blog recipe)

Quarter the tomatoes (or half if small) and put in an ovenproof dish.  Scatter the garlic and sugar over and olive oil to coat.  Put in the oven with the lamb and cook until the tomatoes are soft and browning.  Take out and put in a bowl (should be saucelike) and add the harissa to taste.

Chocolate Mousse (this will give you more than one portion but it’s impossible to half an egg – and it will still be Easter on Monday1)

• 100 grams dark chocolate
• 1/4 pint single cream (if you’ve only got double use half cream and half milk
• 1 egg yolk (put the white in a carton in the freezer – when you have enough you can make meringues or coconut pyramids)

Break up the chocolate into a bowl.  Put the cream into a saucepan and bring to the boil for few seconds. Pour over the chocolate and stir till blended.  Beat in the yolk and pour into a small dish.  Put in the fridge to set and serve with some more grated chocolate and cream!