Fragrant Lamb & Cherry Stew served with Lemon Cous Cous

Good grief! A recipe not about cake! Can you cope?

This is about as close to savoury as I go. A sweet, sticky lamb dish bursting with juicy cherries.

Generally, I'm not a huge fan of lamb. I'm happy to eat it, but would rarely choose it from a menu. I find it a little fatty and there always seems to something more exciting on a menu that gets my vote. The only thing that might swing me is slow cooked lamb, falling away from the bone and melting in the mouth. The sort of dish that takes overnight slow-cooking that I do not have the patience to carry out.

This recipe however, manages the same, soft melting lamb in considerably less time! The vast amounts of spring onion and parsley make this a really fresh, rather than heavy meat dish which I love. Part of my wants to call it a salad, but I think it might be stretching it slightly....

The recipe is inspired by Silvena Rowe's dish in her book Purple Citrus & Sweet Perfume (gorgeous from start to finish). I've amended it by adding more cherries and lemons, to create a more sticky dish, to accommodate my sweet tooth. If you can't get hold of dried cherries, I'd substitute them for cranberries.


Lamb and Cherry Stew served with Lemon Cous Cous (serves 4)

•  800g lamb shoulder (cubed - I did mine from a joint so I could remove all the fat)
• 4tbsp olive oil
• 24 spring onions, sliced
• 4 lemons, zested and juiced
• 300ml lamb stock
• 150g dried cherries (I bought bags from dried fruit snacking section of Sainsburys)
• 1 large bunch flatleaf parsley
• 2 tbsp pine nuts, lightly toasted
• Green beans (to serve)
• Cous cous (to serve)
• Handful pistachio nuts (to serve)

Step 1: Heat oil in casserole dish and brown lamb

Step 2: Add spring onions to casserole and cook for 5 minutes

Step 3: Add stock, cherries and half of the lemon zest and juice. Simmer for 90 minutes until lamb is tender

Step 4: Leave to rest and make cous cous. Pour sufficient for 4 people into a bowl and cover with water. Leave for 5 minutes and stir through remaining lemon juice, zest and seasoning to taste. Scatter with pistachio nuts

Step 5: Boil green beans in boiling water for 3-5 minutes and refresh under cold water

Step 6: Stir torn parsley leaves and toasted pine nuts through stew and serve

Hope you enjoy,
Helen x

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Happiness is Cherry Jelly!

I have been inspired by the fantastic Cherry Blossom in bloom at the moment...



Apparently, it's the best bloom for years due to the cold weather. I can't think I've ever noticed it much before, but it's everywhere at the moment and it makes me smile just looking at it!

So, it got me thinking about cherry recipes and, with the optimism of bright sunny weather, something light and fun to eat. Well, what could be more fun than jelly?! I don't think I've ever indulged in jelly as an adult dessert. My jelly memories are firmly fixed in childhood with images of brightly-coloured, super-sweet puddings mixed into some gloopy mess with ice cream...hmmmmm!

Anyway, I've never made it 'properly' (i.e. not from a Rowntree's packet) and decided adult jelly progression was in order! A little recipe searching and some amends to suit my taste, time and supermarket availability, resulted in my Very Cherry Jelly below, enhanced greatly with a little Prosecco....



Serves 2
1 tin of cherries
125ml Prosecco (or sparkling wine)
75ml of cherry juice (drained from the tin)
40gms caster sugar
1 1/2 sheets of gelatine

1. Place gelatine sheets in cold water until soft (5-10 mins)
2. Heat cherry juice with sugar on a low heat and stir until dissolved
3. Squeeze out all the water from the gelatine and then stir it into the juice and sugar until dissolved (residual heat should be enough to do this)
4. Add the Prosecco and stir
5. Place a few tsps of cherries into the bottom of 2 pudding basins and half-fill with your cherry liquid
6. Chill for about 3 hours until it starts to set and then add another spoon of cherries and fill with the remaining cherry liquid
7. Chill for another 4-6 hours until firmly set

To serve these, place the pudding basin in a bowl of warm water (this will release the jelly from the edges) and then place a plate on top of the basin and flip over. The jelly will then be a lovely, glossy dome on your plate!

Now, I appreciate this is a little faffy (I suggest making the day before you need them), but it's really, really yummy! The jelly is delicately flavoured and the prosecco adds a naughty fizz....definitely adult jelly!

The point of half-filling then chilling and repeating is so the cherries are evenly distributed, however you could skip these steps resulting in all the cherries being at the top when you flip it over. I actually think this would be quite pretty (and easier!!).

I should also point out that vegetarians can use Agar powder as an alternative to gelatine and that the juice in the tin of cherries was actually apple juice, but it's coloured pink by the cherries and tastes more cherry than apple anyway! If you find a better alternative I'd use that to create a more intense cherry flavour.

I think I'll play around with this recipe quite a bit too. I quite fancy a Turkish delight style jelly using rose water and champagne and serving with crystallised rose petals. Also, think I might try pomegranate jelly using POM juice and pomegranate seeds.... I'll post all of these when I get round to making them!!

However, I should highlight my one disappointment on my exploration into the world of adult jelly...the Rhubarb and Champagne jelly below...



It was a Gordan Ramsay recipe, taken from The Times, which was a lot of effort (poach/cool/filter/mix/chill overnight etc..etc...) for not a lot of taste. I'll blame the Rhubarb on this occasion!

Helen x

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