Braised Lamb with Couscous, Chickpeas and Dill Labneh

• 분량: 6

재료

**Labneh:**

Yoghurt - 200g

Salt - 0.5 tsp

Lemon juice - 1 tsp

Dill, very finely chopped - leaves from 5-6 sprigs (make more than is needed to use for garnish below)

**Chickpeas:**

Dried chickpeas, soaked overnight - 100g

**Vegetables:**

Onions, medium - 4

Large carrots - 3

Celery stalks - 3

**Lamb:**

Lamb shoulder roll - 1kg - 6

Olive oil - 30ml

Salt and pepper

Chicken stock - 1000ml

Parsley leaves, roughly chopped - 40g

Cinnamon sticks - 2

Whole allspice berries - 20

Whole black peppercorns - 10

Bay leaves - 4

Dried oregano leaves - 1 tbsp

**Couscous:**

Couscous - 300g

Parsley - finely chopped, (to mix into cooked couscous)

Olive oil - small drizzle

Salt, for seasoning

**Garnish:**

Parsley, finely chopped

Dill, finely chopped

방향

**Labneh:**

1 Mix the yoghurt and ¼ teaspoon of salt in a bowl and hang the labneh overnight.

2 Strain through a cloth straining bag and squeeze out and discard any liquid.

3 Add the labneh to a bowl and whisk to loosen. Add 1 tsp of lemon juice and whisk in.

4 Add the finely sliced dill and mix through thoroughly. Set aside.

**Chickpeas:**

1 Soak the chickpeas overnight.

2 Bring a pot of water to the boil. Add a generous pinch of salt.

3 Add the chickpeas and bring to the boil, then reduce to a strong simmer and cook for 35 minutes.

4 After 25 minutes test the chickpeas, and then every 5 minutes to see if they are cooked. They should be soft and fully cooked but not mushy.

4 When cooked, strain and wash under cold water, removing as many skins as possible. Set aside.

**Vegetables:**

1 Quarter one onion

2 Cut the other three in half and then into wedges like this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l6S529_xTi4

3 Peel the carrots. Cut crossways at the point where the carrot begins to become thick. Read below to better understand where this is.

4 Cut the thinner tip crossways into 3cm pieces.

5 Cut the thicker part in half lengthways, then cut crossways into 3cm pieces.

6 Remove any celery leaves and branches and cut the celery stalks into 3cm pieces

**Lamb:**

1 Remove any casing on the rolled lamb shoulder. Remove any hard skin or any skin that has a stencil print on it telling you of its source. Soft skin and fat do not need to be removed.

2 Dice the lamb into large pieces, 3-4cm square. In a large bowl, mix the diced lamb c with the olive oil and tsp of salt and 0.5 tsp pepper, then massage thoroughly into the lamb.

3 Bring a cast iron pan to a high heat.

4 Add the lamb and sear for two minutes on each side, until golden-brown but still pink in the middle. Remove and set aside.

5 Add the quartered onion, carrots and celery, add more oil if needed, and cook on a high heat for 5 minutes to brown the vegetables. Cook the onions until they only start to brown. When the onions just begin to brown remove them from the pan and set aside. Continue cooking the carrots and celery until browned.

6 Add the lamb, browned vegetables and 500ml of chicken stock to either a:

- the slow cooker to set to a low-medium simmer. Skim the surface for any foam caused by the lamb , then add the parsley, cinnamon, allspice, peppercorns and bay leaves. Leave to simmer on a very low heat for 90 minutes, until the lamb is tender. Top up with more chicken stock if the liquid gets too low. There should be enough to allow the lamb to braise in the liquid without it being a 'soup.'

- a cast iron casserole dish (a Dutch oven). Put the lid on and put in a pre-heated oven of 160C for 90 minutes. Remove, test for doneness. Cook for a further 30 minutes if required.

8 Meanwhile, heat the remaining oil in a medium frying pan. Add the onion wedges and cook for 10-15 minutes, stirring often, until they are caramelised and brown. Remove from the heat and set aside.

9 When the lamb it soft, remove them from the liquid and set aside.

10 Strain the liquid of all its solids. Pick out the celery and carrot from the other solids and set aside. Discard the other solids.

11 Measure out 500ml of the liquid. Top up with more chicken stock if necessary.

12 Add the remaining liquid, approximately 500ml, to a pot and bring to boil. Add the oregano leaves and reduce to a simmer and reduce by half. Remove from the heat, season with a little salt and pepper, cover with a lid and set aside.

**Couscous:**

1 Put the 500ml of cooking liquid (Note: this is NOT the reduced cooking liquid) in a pot, bring to a boil, then add the couscous. Immediately remove from the heat, put on a lid on and set aside for 10 minutes.

3 After 10 minutes use a fork to mix through the couscous, fluffing it with the fork as you do. Put the lid back on and set aside for another 5 to 10 minutes.

3 Fluff the couscous again with a fork. Then stir in the chickpeas, cooked onion, chopped parsley and a pinch of salt and pepper. Set aside.

**Garnish:**

1 Mix equal amounts of finely chopped parsley and dill in a bowl. Set aside.

**To Serve:**

1 Before serving, bring a large frypan to a medium heat. Add the stock liquid, lamb, carrots, celery and gently stir until warmed through.

2 Scoop the couscous into a serving container. Put the lamb, some carrots and celery on top. Spoon over some of the warm stock.

3 Top with labneh and sprinkle with the finely chopped parsley and dill.