At Hugh Phillips Gower Butchers we are always delighted when our clients come up with recipes using our meat products which they then share with us too. So, we are delighted to have teamed with Silas Frogmorton who has recently shared this delicious dinner party recipe for Harissa Lamb to help you to entertain on a budget. (For more recipe ideas visit: https://www.facebook.com/silas.frogmorton )
This recipe is also great if you have the family descending on you this festive season and you’re looking for a tasty but alternative to the traditional turkey and trimmings.
Harissa Shoulder of Lamb with Pickled Radishes, Lamb Roasted Potatoes and Fennel
A dinner party dish does not always have to be beautifully presented on a plate. Sometimes, the spectacle is half of the pleasure of the meal. Here’s a perfect example; Harissa Shoulder of Lamb with Pickled Radishes, Lamb Roasted Potatoes and Fennel, served with Broccoli. This dish is an explosion of colours and exotic North African aromas which can served at the table. Your guests will be salivating as you carve the succulent meat and pile the delicious potatoes and vegetables onto their plates. As the meal progresses, you can top up their plates, and I guarantee at least one of your guests will be picking at the crispy carcase when everyone else has finished. And there’s an added bonus – most of the preparation is done the day before so you can actually spend time with your guests instead of slaving away in the kitchen.
The quantities will serve 6 people and you will have leftovers for at least 2 more generous platefuls, unless you have really greedy guests! This meal works out at just £3.59 per portion.
Ingredients:
1 Whole Shoulder of Lamb (available from Hugh Phillips Gower Butcher in Swansea Market or from their online shop )
1.2 Kg New Potatoes, halved
4 Shallots, peeled and halved
2 Bulbs Fennel, quartered
A handful of chopped flat leaf Parsley, to serve.
200 ml White Wine.
For the Harissa paste:
10 Red Chillies, crudely chopped
1 tsp Caraway Seeds
1 tsp Coriander Seeds
3 – 4 Garlic Cloves
½ tsp salt
1 tsp paprika
50ml Olive Oil
3 Preserved Lemons, centres discarded, skin crudely chopped (These are a staple of North African cooking and are easy to make, but they take up to a month to preserve properly. I was short of time so I got mine from Amazon, but they are widely available in speciality shops and some supermarkets).
For the Pickle:
80ml vinegar
50g Sugar
300g Radishes, halved
3 fronds of Dill
Method:
THE DAY BEFORE YOU INTEND TO SERVE THIS DISH:
Start by preparing the Harissa paste. Toast the seeds then grind them into a powder. Add them to your food processer with the lemons, chillies, garlic, oil, salt and paprika and blitz until smooth. Pour the puree into a small frying pan and cook for 4 – 5 minutes. Set aside.
Next, prepare your Lamb shoulder. Wash the meat, then score the fat. Smother the Lamb with your Harissa paste, making sure you work the paste into the cuts in the fat. Put the Lamb into your fridge to marinate overnight.
ON THE DAY YOU ARE SERVING THE DISH:
Preheat your oven to 200 degrees (180 fan)
Place the Shallots in a large roasting tray, then lay the Lamb Shoulder on top. Add the wine and 125 ml water to the roasting tray, cover with foil and put in the oven for 20 minutes. Reduce the heat to 150 degrees (140 fan) and cook for 3 hours.
An hour before the end, add the new potatoes to the roasting tray with the fennel. Make sure the potatoes are covered with the delicious Lamb juices.
Return to the oven with the foil removed. Turn up the heat for the last 20 minutes so the Lamb and the Potatoes are golden and crispy.
For the pickle, heat the vinegar and sugar until the sugar melts. Place the Radishes and dill in a jar then cover with the vinegar mixture. Leave to stand for 30 minutes, turning occasionally to ensure all the radishes are covered.
Remove the Lamb from the tray and leave it to rest for about 10 – 15 minutes. Transfer it to a large chopping board, put the Potatoes and fennel around the nearside of the Lamb and put some Steamed Broccoli on the other side. Scatter the radishes and the Parsley over the Lamb and Potatoes and carry the chopping board triumphantly into the dining room.
Carve the meat and place it on warmed plates with the vegetables.
Hugh Phiillips Gower Butcher
We hope you have enjoyed this delicious recipe and we’ll be sharing more of these in the weeks to come.
Also, if you’re looking for some tasty recipes to help get you through the festive season, check out e-book ‘A Free Guide to Seasonal Meats & Delicious Christmas Recipes’ available to download from our website
