There is little as pleasing to cook in the depths of the winter as a pot of enticingly fragrant, slow-braised meat. A shoulder of lamb is one of my favourite cuts; you, or a friendly butcher, will need to trim away its excess fat, a job that will reward you with an exquisite flavour that marries beautifully with bold spicing. Here, we travel to Morocco, with sweetly aromatic ginger, turmeric and c...
There is little as pleasing to cook in the depths of the winter as a pot of enticingly fragrant, slow-braised meat. A shoulder of lamb is one of my favourite cuts; you, or a friendly butcher, will need to trim away its excess fat, a job that will reward you with an exquisite flavour that marries beautifully with bold spicing. Here, we travel to Morocco, with sweetly aromatic ginger, turmeric and cinnamon, and follow that with cardamom, cream and rhubarb for pudding. A sumptuous, colourful feast to stave off any February blues. Moroccan lamb filo pie with honeyed carrots and almonds (pictured top) Many elements of this dish, with its falling apart, richly seasoned lamb and carrots encased in crisp, golden pastry, can be made the day before. The flavours will be much improved for it, too. Prep 15 min Cook 3 hr Serves 6-8 1 large boned shoulder of lamb, trimmed of excess fat Salt and pepper 60g butter, or oil 2 large onions, peeled and finely chopped 1 scant tsp ground ginger 1 scant tsp cinnamon 1 scant tsp turmeric 2 large pinches saffron strands 650g carrots, scrubbed (or peeled) and cut into thick, slanted chunks 1 heaped tsp honey To finish 80g blanched almonds 50g butter 270g packet filo pastry Use a sharp knife to cut the meat into six to eight pieces, trimming away any further excess fat revealed when doing so. Season the lamb pieces generously with salt and pepper. Put a casserole on a high heat and, when it’s hot, add a third of the butter (I like to add a dash of olive oil, too, to stop the butter burning). Brown the lamb pieces in two batches for a few minutes on each side, until nicely browned and caramelised. Set aside in a bowl, then turn down the heat to medium. Add a third more of the butter to the pan, tip in the onions, season well with salt and lots of pepper, then stir in the ginger, cinnamon, turmeric and saffron, and sweat gently, stirring often, for 10-12 minutes, until the onions are translucent and soft. Return the lamb to the pan, pour in eno...