Lamb with eggs, yoghurt & mint

So many things to love with this recipe; lamb - tick; Greek yoghurt - tick; runny eggs - tick; fresh mint and coriander, roasted and ground cumin and coriander - tick, tick, tick.  It's delicious.

This is a yummy recipe from April Bloomfield, published in the Times a few weeks ago.  The recipe is below.  I didn't actually make the meatballs and used chunks of lamb shoulder instead; life's a little too short to mince my own lamb! I was going to just buy lamb mince to make the meatballs, but my local Little Waitrose has such ridiculous reductions some times a half shoulder of New Zealand lamb was cheaper than the mince.  I was too impatient to simmer the tomato sauce for as long as required and I also didn't blitz half the sauce. 

Despite cutting corners, the end result looked gorgeous in the pan and when the gooey egg, tomato sauce, yoghurt and lamb are all mixed together, it's a fab combo of flavours.  A chunk of hot, crusty bread on the side would finish this off perfectly.

Recipe:

Ingredients


FOR THE MEATBALLS:

2 1/2 pounds boneless lamb shoulder, cut into 1-inch pieces

2 1/2 tablespoons Maldon or another flaky sea salt

1/2 pound (about 2 cups) fine bread crumbs (see note)

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

FOR THE SAUCE:

1 large Spanish onion, finely chopped

5 garlic cloves, thinly sliced

1/2 teaspoon Maldon or another flaky sea salt

2 teaspoon coriander seeds, toasted and ground

1 1/2 teaspoons cumin seeds, toasted and ground

2 Dutch or other spicy long red chilies, pierced with a sharp knife

One 28-ounce can peeled whole tomatoes, drained trimmed and squished with your hands

About 1/2 cup whole-milk Greek-style yogurt

4 large eggs

FOR FINISHING:

A small handful of mint leaves

A small handful of small, delicate cilantro sprigs

Extra virgin olive oil

SPECIAL EQUIPMENT:

Meat grinder or meat grinder attachment of a stand mixer (see note)

Directions


Note: When I call for bread crumbs, I mean stale bread (two days or so old) pulsed in a food processor until it's coarse (about the size of lentils) or fine (slightly larger than grains of sand), depending on the recipe. It you don't have stale bread, you can replicate the texture by popping the bread into a low oven for a bit, until it's slightly dried out but hasn't colored.

Grinding your own meat: For meatballs, you want to use light, airy, delicate ground meat, which is why I like to grind it myself. Often the ground meat you see on supermarket shelves is already overmixed, paste like and sticky. You can use either a dedicated meat grinder or the attachment for your stand mixer. Before I form my meatballs, I like to roll a tester and fry it in a pan to check the seasoning (and because it makes a nice little snack).

Make the meatballs: Put the lamb in a large mixing bowl, cover the bowl with plastic wrap, and pop it into the freezer until the edges get crunchy, about 1 hour.

Toss the lamb well with the salt, then add the bread crumbs and toss again. Use a meat grinder (or the grinder attachment of a stand mixer) to grind the mixture through a medium die into a bowl. Put the mixture through the medium die once more.

Take a bit of the mixture in your hand, give it a few firm but still rather gentle squeezes, and roll it into a ball (you’re shooting for each one to be a little bigger than a golf ball). Overworking the mixture is bad and leads to tough meatballs, but this warning often makes cooks too timid when they form the balls: the outside of each ball should be smooth, with no big cracks or crags. Gently pinch any cracks closed so the ball doesn't fall apart in the pan. Repeat with the remaining mixture.

Add the oil to a 8- to 9-quart Dutch oven with a lid, set the pan over high heat, and swirl the oil in the pan. When it just begins to smoke, cook the meatballs in batches to avoid crowding, turning them occasionally with tongs, so they develop a beautiful, shiny, deep-brown crust on all sides. You don’t want to cook them too fast. If you see any black spots, turn your heat down a little. Keep at it until you’re happy with the color of each one, transferring them to a plate when they finish browning. It’ll take 12 to 15 minutes per batch. Drain half the fat remaining in the pot.

Make the sauce: Lower the heat to medium-high, add the onion, garlic, and salt, and cook, stirring often, until the onion is soft and lightly browned and the garlic smells toasty and is a deep golden brown, about 5 minutes. Add the coriander, cumin, and chilies and cook for a minute, stirring constantly.

Turn the heat to low, add the tomatoes, and simmer gently until the tomatoes begin to stick to the bottom of the pot, about 10 minutes.

Add 4 cups water and raise the heat to bring the sauce to a boil, then turn it down to maintain a gentle simmer and cook for 5 minutes more. Transfer 2 cups of the sauce to a blender, give it a whiz until it's smooth and airy, and stir it back into the sauce in the pot. (I always freak out at this point, because the sauce seems so bland, but don’t worry--it’ll taste amazing after you're done.)

Return the meatballs and their juices to the pot and stir gently to coat them in the sauce. Cover the pot, tweak the heat if need be to maintain a gentle simmer, and cook for about 30 minutes to let the flavors come together.

Finish the dish: Turn the heat to low, add blobs of the yogurt, and crack the eggs here and there into the sauce. Tear and sprinkle in the mint leaves and cilantro, and add a good drizzle of olive oil. Cover the pot and turn the heat to medium. Cook until the egg whites have just set (I like my yolks a little runny), 10 to 15 minutes.

Eat it from the pan, making sure everyone gets an egg and some yoghurt.

Pom Poms galore!

The world has gone crazy for pom poms! Everyone's banging on about how they're the next "big thing" - attached to beanies, shoes, bags, you name it.  This annoys me.  I was onto this at least six months ago - this isn't just a band wagon I've jumped on; I was there chopping down the trees to build the wagon.  (note, obviously I know that pom poms haven't just been invented - like most people, I made them with cardboard rings at school, but they do now seem to be "back").

In about October last year I bought a fabulous pom pom making device (see the photo above, and here on Amazon) - I was dubious this was necessary and thought I could rely on the cardboard method to create fluffly wool magic, but for £5 and swayed by rave Amazon reviews, I purchased the life changing pom pom maker! It means you can create pom poms in no time and in two sizes.  Most people's dream come true - surely? 

I made small red pom poms as little tails for some soft toys I made for my growing tribe of neices, nephews and god children.  Then I made a large grey pom pom and attached it to my beanie.  Then ... well ... then I was desperate to keep making them and ... ummm ... attached them all the way around the hem of this checked skirt I inherited from my grandma.  Yes, it's a tad crazy, but it's a bit of fun.  Everyone else will be wearing them in 6 months time.  Just wait.

Delicious lemon yoghurt cake

This is a truly fabulous cake.  I made it recently and took it into work.  I then was out of the office all day at meetings.  During the day I received 3 emails from one of my colleauges: "I've had a piece of your cake - it's delicous", "I'm having a second piece of your lovely cake!", "I'm about to have my third slice - we might save you some. Can I have the recipe?".

Fortunately I was saved a piece.  The cake is made with yoghurt which gives it a lovely moistness.  I go heavy on the lemon rind and juice, to make it extra lemony. 

Lemon yoghurt cake

The recipe is one from Australian cook, Donna Hay. 

Ingredients

¾ cup (180ml) vegetable oil
2 eggs
1 tablespoon finely grated lemon rind (I think 2T is even better)
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 cup (280g) thick natural yoghurt
1¾ cups (385g) caster sugar
2 cups (300g) self-raising flour

Lemon frosting
¾ cup (120g) granulated sugar
¼ cup (60ml) lemon juice 

Method

Preheat oven to 180°C (350°F).

Place the oil, eggs, rind, lemon juice, yoghurt and sugar in a bowl and whisk to combine.

Sift over the flour and stir until smooth.

Pour the mixture into a greased 24cm fluted ring tin and bake for 35 minutes or until cooked when tested with a skewer.

While the cake is still hot remove from the tin and place on a plate.

To make the lemon frosting, gently stir together the sugar and lemon juice.

Spoon over the cake and allow to set. Serve warm (or at room temp from a tupperware container in the office)

A little healthy eating

Other than the obvious benefits of cooking food that is good for you, the thing I love about cooking lovely fresh, flavourful food is the preparation.  Walking through food markets; seeing the array of fruit and veg; inhaling the gorgeous smell of a bunch of mint; chatting to stallholders about what's in season; chop chop chopping chillies, garlic, herbs, onions; sauteeing in olive oil - all this enjoyment and relaxation before you even get to eat!

Here's a little meal I russled up recently:

Tzatziki
This is a Donna Hay recipe from her website.  I used double the cucumber to make this fab dip even healthier! I prefer to slice the cucumber thinly rather than grating it. 

2 cups thick Greek-style natural yoghurt
1 Lebanese cucumber, grated (I use 2 cucumbers, thinly sliced)
2 tablespoons chopped mint leaves (I go heavy with the mint too)
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 tablespoon honey
½ teaspoon ground cumin
sea salt and cracked white pepper

Place the yoghurt, cucumber, mint, garlic, honey, cumin, salt and pepper in a bowl and stir to combine.

Makes 2¼ cups.


Carrot and yoghurt salad

This is a lovely recipe from Taste.com.au.  As you can see, I used pieces of carrot instead of grated carrot - largely because it was easier!

2 tsp vegetable oil

1 tsp mustard seeds
1 tsp ground cumin
1 large carrot, peeled, coarsely grated (or chopped, in my case)
260g (1 cup) Greek-style natural yoghurt
2 tbs chopped fresh coriander (or, like me, add a litle more)
1 tbs roasted peanuts, coarsely chopped

Heat the oil in a small frying pan over medium heat. Reduce heat to low. Cook the mustard seeds, curry leaves and cumin seeds, stirring, for 1-2 minutes or until aromatic and the seeds start to pop. Transfer to a bowl.


Add the carrot, yoghurt and coriander. Season with salt and pepper. Top with the peanuts.
 

Artichoke fritters

This is based on a Donna Hay recipe for aubergine fritters, using a jar of chargrilled aubergine.  I had originally wanted to use fresh aubergines, but on my market visit couldn't find either chargrilled or fresh aubergine.  So instead I substituted char-grilled artichokes, which had a lovely smokey flavour and made for delicious fritters.

1 cup chopped store bought char-grilled aubergine or artichoke

1 cup canned chickpeas (garbanzos), drained and roughly mashed
1 tablespoon plain (all-purpose) flour
½ teaspoon baking powder
2 eggs, lightly beaten
2 green onions (scallions), thinly sliced
sea salt and cracked black pepper
vegetable oil, for shallow-frying

Place the aubergine/artichokes, chickpeas, flour, baking powder, egg, green onion, salt and pepper in a bowl and stir to combine.

Heat 1cm of oil in a non-stick frying pan over medium heat. Cook tablespoons of the mixture, in batches, for 2−3 minutes each side or until golden and cooked through. Drain on absorbent paper and serve.

Serves 4.

(Don't worry, this healthy thing doesn't last - a post about cake is coming up!)

Yes, I still exist

... although having not posted since August last year, I can understand why you may think otherwise!

This year I aim to achieve a better balance of work and not work.  And I have very good intentions of recording all the wonderful, exciting, interesting non-work related things I do, right here.

In January I found the time and inclination to do some cooking.  Like for most people, the emphasis was meant to be on healthy food (yawn) but without ever (ever) compromising on taste - you can see straight away, however, that I failed in this regard (the healthy bit, not the taste bit). 

Here are some of the things I've been making:

Pecan and maple syrup friands
I love making friands, probably because they remind me of my mum.  This recipe is a little different from my usual recipe and I found it here on Taste.com.au.  I have to confess that I made them as a gift and so didn't get to try them, although the batter was yummy. 

Melted butter, to grease

105g (3/4 cup) pecan halves
6 egg whites, lightly whisked
185g unsalted butter, melted
230g (1 1/2 cups) icing sugar mixture
75g (1/2 cup) plain flour
2 tbs maple syrup
10 pecan halves, extra
1 tbs maple syrup, extra, to serve


Preheat oven to 180°C. Brush ten 125ml (1/2 cup) capacity, oval friand pans with melted butter to lightly grease.

Place pecans in the bowl of a food processor and process until finely chopped. Transfer to a large bowl and add the egg whites, unsalted butter, icing sugar mixture, flour and maple syrup. Stir until well combined.

Spoon the mixture into the prepared pans. Bake in preheated oven for 25 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Set aside for 5 minutes before turning onto a wire rack to cool.

Pea and artichoke puree

An easy peasy snack based on a Donna Hay recipe.  Just blitz blanched frozen peas, chargrilled artichokes, a crushed clove of garlic, a little grated lemon rind, olive oil, salt and pepper.  Slather it on some toasted sourdough, and top with extra artichokes.  

"Healthy" fruit & nut mix

I don't recommend making these "granola clusters" - I made them (although in loose form rather than in "clusters") so that I could have a little handful each day as a healthy snack.  A complete disaster, for these are divine and I can't guarantee you won't eat them in large handfuls over a few days, rather than mini bite size snacks over many weeks.  I used my own mix of nuts and dried fruit.  If your will power is better than mine, check out Donna Hay's recipe here. 

A tiny shed, filled to the gills with seafood

See this shed? There's gold in that shed, there is. Gold plucked straight from the sea, not metres away, not hours ago.

This is Company Shed, on Mersea Island, about 2 hours drive from London (if you live east side). Here, two brilliant ideas merge to create something so simple and so deliciously pleasing.



Concept number 1 - the picnic. Imagine, if you will, the perfect picnic. Then remember you live in England. Solution? Host a picnic indoors - on tables covered in plastic tablecloths, each adorned with a roll of kitchen towel. Provide wine glasses and the odd bottle opener, even plates and cutlery, but otherwise let people bring their own bread, wine, condiments.



Concept number 2 - seafood. The shed is situated within an oyster schuck of the sea. So they have access to the best and freshest seafood. Seafood is what they do. And nothing else.


Combine 1 with 2, and what do you get? An indoor picnic where you bring everything except the seafood. I know. Say it with me. BRILLIANT.

Oh and did I mention the price? We (three) carried our bursting bellies out of that shed, and all the seafood you see came to £45. All up.

My advice, get there early, put your name down, drive back to the village, take a stroll (duck into the Cake Hole deli/cafe) and take cash. The rest you can work out yourself, for it's not rocket science. It's perfectly, wonderfully simple.

See review also from Shed Likes Food.

Pembrokeshire, Wales

For two Aussies living in the UK a four day weekend is too good an opportunity to sit at home watching a Jubilee parade on tv. Our first thoughts were to head abroad, but once jubilee fever hit and we were walking through little lanes strewn with Union Jack bunting in Welsh seaside villages, I was glad we'd remained in the UK.


We set off from Birmingham on Saturday morning, arriving at Llanthony Priory near Abergavenny just in time for a couple of hours of horse riding. We then drove a further two hours to arrive at Pleasant Valley, near Saundersfoot on the south coast, not for from Tenby. We stayed at a truly fabulous B and B, Pen Coed B and B, probably one of the best we've been to. The house's owner, Tracy, has set up two beautiful rooms on the bottom level of her house. My first thoughts were "palatial!" - the rooms are gorgeous but what really makes this place great is the attention to detail - the fluffy white towels wrapped with a bow, electric sockets next to the bed (no fiddling around behind the bed head to plug in your charger!), and the most amazing bathroom. Tracy is a perfect host - super friendly without being intrusive, plus she knows exactly what you want, about a minute before you do.

We went to Saundersfoot, a cute little seaside village, and had good fish and chips at Mermaid on the Strand. If it's fish and chips you want, you'll be spoilt for choice.


We stayed at Pen Coed B and B for two nights. Breakfast was served in our room - I can confirm that whether you go with poached eggs on toast, or fruit, yoghurt, honey and croissants, both options are excellent.

By day we dodged rain drops and peered through fog and did a lovely walk along the Bosherston Lily Ponds Circular Walk. We had planned to have lunch in the fabulously quirky Druidstone Hotel at Druidstone Haven, but it was packed and no one was volunteering to give up their seat and go back into the down pour.

Instead we found a little cafe in an art gallery in Slova, Lavender Cafe. Freshly made crab sandwiches were delicious, and whilst we have no idea whether they were authentic, Welsh cakes with butter were yummy.

We returned back to our "suite" at our B and B cold and wet, but we definitely didn't sit in our room watching the re-run of the Jubilee flotilla, eating kebabs. No siree, not us...


On Monday the sun made a truly wonderful debut - blue skies all day. We drove north and out to the coast at Trefasser and then to the lighthouse at Strumble Head - the views (particularly from the latter spot) were magnificent.

We made a brief stop at Lower Town, a gorgeous little village, especially in the sun. Because it was almost 2 hours since breakfast and almost certainly another hour until lunch, we had ice cream from the little van in the car park - honey & ginger ice cream in a waffle cone was divine. Sitting by a stream eating it in the sun, only made it taste better.


A little more driving through the pretty countryside and we popped into Pentre Ifan Neolithic Burial Chamber.

Obviously we'd worked up a real appetite by this point, and upon walking into the country lodge that is Fforest Cafe, I immediately forgot that I'd eaten a croissant and ice cream and promptly ordered a slice of chocolate Guinness cake. Y sat smugly eating her watercress soup with spelt bread and Welsh cheese. We were both happy.

Our third night was spent at the Harbour Master at Aberaeron, a brilliant pub with rooms by a gorgeous little harbour in the quaintest of fishing villages. We joined the locals, sitting outside in the evening sun, drinking cocktails. Perfect! I loved everything about the Harbour Master - our lovely room, delicious dinner, incredibly friendly staff.

We set off from Aberaeron and made a really interesting stop at Llanerchaeron, an 18th century National Trust property.


We made one final, quick pit-stop (oh god, more cake) on our way home; the tea room at Glansevern Hall Gardens caught our eye as we passed and, for somewhere chosen purely for convenience, it was pretty good. I heartily recommend their sausage rolls!

We thoroughly loved Wales - can't wait to get back.

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