Lamb/Mutton/Hogget

Savoury Lamb Racks in a Vegetable Broth

It’s my firm belief that a little fat makes everything taste better. However, the fat on meat needs to be crisp for us to really enjoy it. Trim all the fat off these racks, as they are gently poached in a soothing broth made up of a mix of baby vegetables, and have no chance of becoming crisp.

The essential ingredient for flavour is the rigani, dried Greek oregano. Try to find this imported herb, or use dried oregano. Fresh...

SLOW COOKED LAMB SHANKS SCATTERED WITH ROAST ALMOND PARSLEY AND LEMON GREMOLATA.

Gremolata is fresh and vibrant, herb garnish that is scattered over the top of a dish right at the end before serving.   With yellow, white and green colours contrasting with the cooked juicy meat.  It provides a great bite to the palate and freshness to the eye. This slow cooked meat dish can be made with lamb, pork, beef or chicken pieces.  The combination of flavourings gives a rich complex depth to the taste.

Make this dish well in advance to allow the flavours to mellow and blend and improve.  Then simply reheat when ready to serve

Slow-Cooked Rosemary Shanks

I can remember when lamb shanks became fashionable. Prue Barton put them on her menu at Vinnies in the very early years of the restaurant and charged $3.95 for one and $5.95 for two. Those were the days! In this recipe the lamb shanks are slowly simmered with rosemary, red wine, onions and orange zest until the meat literally falls from the bone Serve with a garlicky potato puree or your favourite mashed vegetable.

SPICED LAMB MEATBALLS WITH SOUR CHERRIES

This dish is an unusually striking, combination of flavours, which really makes your taste buds tingle.   It comes from an area of Turkey in the south, near Aleppo, which is close to Syria.  I have had variations of this in Turkey and Syria and it is always very popular in both countries.  Early settlers in the area, were famous for mixing fruit with cooked lamb.  In this region the famous sour cherries, which are now widely available, dried in supermarkets are in season in June, and so these are traditionally are seasonal early summer dish.  Because of the...