Rich Spiced Lamb Stew Recipe

Rich Lamb Stew recipe to delight the entire family.

Serves: 4

INGREDIENTS

80 ml (2½ fl oz/1⁄3 cup) olive oil
1 large red onion, sliced
4 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon sweet paprika
1 tablespoon chilli powder
600 g (1 lb 5 oz) deboned lamb leg, cut into roughly 2 cm (¾ in) cubes
250 ml (9 fl oz/1 cup) Belgian double ale
1 red bird’s-eye chilli, sliced (or to taste; I use up to 4 chillies to make this really quite hot!)
45 g (12⁄3 oz/¼ cup) sultanas (golden raisins)
6 semi-dried dates (such as medjool)
1 cinnamon stick
15 g (½ oz/¼ cup) chopped coriander (cilantro)
7 g (¼ oz/¼ cup) chopped flat-leaf (Italian) parsley
3 roma (plum) tomatoes, cut into 6 wedges each
45 g (12⁄3 oz/1 cup) sliced kale
salt and freshly ground black pepper

METHOD

1 Heat the olive oil in a large deep-sided frying pan or flameproof casserole dish that has a lid over medium–high heat, then add the onion and garlic, and fry, stirring often, for 8–10 minutes.
2 Add the cumin, paprika and chilli powder, stirring to combine, and continue to fry for a couple of minutes. Increase the heat to high, add the lamb and stir well to coat with the spice mix, then brown for about 10 minutes.
3 Stir in the beer and 150 ml (5½ fl oz) of water, then stir in the sliced chillies, sultanas, dates and cinnamon. Season, then add the fresh herbs.
4 Turn down to a simmer, cover with the lid and cook for about 1½ hours or until the meat is quite tender. Check the meat after an hour or so.
5 Add the tomato wedges and kale to the stew, stirring to combine, and simmer for a further 10 minutes. You may need to add a little extra water as the stew can become a little dry. It is meant to be a thick-dry style stew though, not a wet stew with lots of liquid.
6 Serve on mashed potato or with boiled potatoes on the side or some couscous.