New ways to love lamb

Serves 4

Prep 10 minutes

Cook 25 minutes

500g (1 lb 2 oz) New Zealand Lamb mince

3 garlic cloves, finely chopped

Finely grate zest of 1 lemon

Large pinch dried chilli flakes (optional)

85g (3 ½ oz) fresh breadcrumbs

Handful parsley, finely chopped

85g (3 ½ oz) Greek yogurt

2 tbsp olive oil

1 large onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, chopped

2 x 400g tin chopped tomatoes

Handful pitted black olives (optional)

350g (12oz) pasta

Grated parmesan to serve

1. In a large bowl mix the mince, ½ the garlic, lemon, chilli (if using), breadcrumbs, parsley and yoghurt. Season well and roll the mix into 20 walnut size balls.

2. Heat 1tbsp of the oil in a large non-stick pan and cook the meatballs, shaking the pan regularly until beginning to brown. Remove the meatballs from the pan on to a plate.

3. In the same pan add another tbsp of oil and cook the onion and the rest of the garlic until softened. Add the tomatoes and cook until thick and pulpy.

4. Add the meatballs back to the pan pour in 100ml of water and cook gently for 10 minutes or so until the meatballs are cooked through and the sauce is thick. Then stir through the olives.

5. Meanwhile cook the pasta until al dente in boiling salted water. Drain loosely and add to the meatballs mixing gently.

Serve with grated Parmesan.

Spiced Roast Leg of New Zealand Lamb with Fennel and Tomatoes

Serves 6-8

Prep 5 minutes, cook approx 1 hour 20 mins (20 mins per 500g)

Zest and juice of 2 lemons.

6 anchovy fillets in oil, chopped

1 heaped teaspoon cumin seeds

1 heaped tsp fennel seeds

Small handful thyme, leaves stripped

1 mild red chilli, de-seeded and chopped

60ml (4tbsp) olive oil

sea salt and freshly ground pepper

1 x 2kg (4lb 8oz) leg of New Zealand Lamb

6 ripe tomatoes, halved

2 fennel bulbs, cut into wedges

New potatoes and crusty bread to serve

1. Mix together all the ingredients for the marinade. Make a few small incisions all over the lamb, season well and smother over most of the marinade, reserving 1 tbsp.

2. Preheat the oven 200C/gas mark 6, fan 180C. Place the lamb in a roasting tray and place into the oven to roast. After 10 minutes turn the oven down to 180C and cook for a further 50 minutes.

3. Remove the lamb from the oven and add the fennel and tomatoes. Baste all with the juices and top the tomatoes with the rest of the marinade.

Continue cooking for about 40 minutes until the lamb is cooked to your liking and the vegetables softened and lightly charred – (allow 20 minutes per 500g, plus 20 mins for medium).

4. Cover and leave to rest for 15-20 minutes. Carve and serve with the veg and some new potatoes and crusty bread.

North African Spiced Lamb Tagine

Serves 6

Preparation time: 20 mins

Cooking time: approx 2 hours

3 tbsp olive oil

1 kg (2.4lb) New Zealand Lamb leg, cut into 2cm pieces

2 aubergines cut into 5cm cubes

2 onions, sliced

2 celery sticks, chopped

2 cm of ginger root, finely chopped or grated

1 heaped tsp both cumin and coriander

1 tsp cinnamon and ground ginger

3 garlic cloves, chopped

2 x 400g tins chopped tomatoes

1 litre meat stock

2 tbsp pistachios, roughly chopped (optional)

2 tbsp pomegranate seeds (optional)

Handful mint leaves, roughly chopped

Cous cous to serve

1. Heat 1tbsp of oil in a large heavy based casserole and brown the meat well, separate the meat and do this in batches. Meanwhile in another pan sweat the onions and celery in the remaining oil and cook until softened and lightly golden. Add the ginger, spices and garlic and cook for a couple of minutes.

2. Transfer all to a large tagine, add the tomatoes and cook until thick and pulpy. Pour in the stock and bring to the boil. Turn to a very gentle simmer and cook for 1 hour.

3. Brown the aubergines in the remaining oil, season well and add to the casserole with the apricots. Continue cooking gently for another hour or so until all is meltingly tender.

4. Scatter with chopped mint, nuts and some pomegranate seeds and serve with cous cous.

Cook’s tips:

If you don’t have a tagine, this can be replaced with a casserole dish.

Braised lamb shanks with shallots, white wine, olives & lemon served with a parsley and lemon gremolata

Serves 4

Preparation time: 30 minutes

Cooking time: 3 – 3 ½ hours

2 tbsp rapeseed oil

4 lamb shanks

16 shallots, peeled

4 cloves of garlic, peeled and finely chopped

2 bay leaves

4 sprigs fresh thyme

2 sprigs fresh rosemary

200ml of good quality white wine

500ml chicken stock

Juice & zest of 2 lemons

75g of pitted green olives

A handful of freshly chopped parsley

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Parsley and lemon gremolata:

3 cloves of garlic peeled and finely chopped

2 tbsp rapeseed oil

The juice & zest of 1 large lemon

4 tbsp fresh flat leaf parsley finely chopped

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

1. Preheat oven to 140C gas mark 1 275F 2. Heat the rapeseed oil in a large ovenproof casserole dish on the hob over a medium heat. Season the lamb shanks and brown all over in the hot oil for approximately 8 minutes.

3. Remove the lamb from the dish and set aside then add the shallots and cook for a further 8 minutes until golden brown.

4. Reduce the heat add the garlic, bay leaves, thyme and rosemary and return the lamb to the casserole dish. Then pour over the white wine, stock, lemon zest and juice, season well, bring to simmering point and cover with a tight fitting lid then transfer to the oven and bake for 2 ½ -3 hours.

5. Meanwhile make the gremolata by mixing all the ingredients together and season with sea salt and black pepper and set aside.

6. When the lamb shanks are cooked remove them and the shallots from the sauce and place in a serving dish to keep warm.

7. Skim off the fat from the surface of the sauce and discard. Strain the sauce and return to the casserole dish. Bring the sauce to the boil and simmer for 5 minutes then add the olives, adjust the seasoning and add 1 spoon full of the gremolata to the sauce.

8. Finally pour the sauce over the lamb shanks and shallots and serve with remaining the gremolata, sprinkled flat parsely and sauté potatoes.