Mutton Grab - from 'Arab World Cook Book['

Ingredients
1 small lamb about 17 - 18 lbs killed and prepared a day in advance


Melt butter designated for the stuffing in a skillet and fry onions, chopped meat and nuts.  When it is fried remove to a pot and add salt, pepper, saffron, rice and water.  Boil about 5 minutes over high heat, then reduce heat to moderate and cook until done.


Salt the lamb inside out and rub in with pepper.  Stuff with the above stuffing and sew and truss or have it kneeling on its foreleg in a baking pan.  Pour melted butter over it and put in moderately hot oven and bake until done.  Baste it often with melted butter and some of its own juice.  Cover all the top part of it with foil.  Turn lamb from time to time.


When lamb is done remove baking pan and keep hot in another container.  Drain out all but a very little of the butter and sauce in the pan in which the lamb was baked.  Place pan on top of stove and add flour and stir until it turns brown.  Pour over it the liquid that was drained out and saved and let it boil till it begins to thicken.  Pour it into a strainer.  Return the stained sauce to boil a little longer over low heat and keep hot until ready to serve.  If much butter appears on top of sauce, skim it off the top.  Service lamb on large tray or platter and sauce in a separate container.

Mmm Tasty

Lemon Meringue without the Pie

 

Meringues seem popular at present, they're everywhere, so I made some today.  Then, left with two egg yolks I rustled up a bit of lemon curd in the microwave (2 egg yolks, juice of one lemon, approx 30 grams butter, 60 grams of sugar) and it was a delicious, a new take on lemon meringue without the pastry and no cream in the meringues, just the sugar to worry about!  Oh, and the egg yolks and the butter... doh!

Toasty!

Grilled tomatoes on Marks and Spencer's Champion seeded bread, topped with artichoke antipasto (Aldi's best, £1 a jar) and fresh basil.  Delicious!

 

Vegetable Curry

 

Onion

Garlic

Ginger (grated)

Tomato puree

Chicken or veg stock

Dried coriander, cumin seeds, ground cumin, turmeric, asafoetida, garam masala, tamarind paste/sauce, chilli flakes.

Apple

Carrots

1 large potato

Frozen green beans

Frozen spinach

Cooked chick peas

Top with chopped coriander and preserved lemon.

Spicy Mexican Eggs - (huevos rancheros)

 

 

#BreakfastWeek

 Onions, peppers, tomatoes, chilli and eggs.

Lamb Biryani

Lamb, cooked, I used the remainder of my Sunday roast

2 large tomatoes

Large onion

Oil

1 tablespoon tomato puree

Meat juices or half a stock cube

Spices

Coriander

Turmeric

Asafoetida

Garam masala

Cumin

Chilli powder

Salt and pepper to taste

Basmati rice

Method

Sweat the onion in the oil until soft and slightly browned, add spices and tomato puree, continue cooking for a minute or two, then stir in the meat and chopped skinned tomatoes.  Leave to simmer and when the rice is cooked stir in the almonds and raisins.

Add water to cover and meat jelly/juice or half a stock cube.  Bring to boil and simmer.

Meanwhile put the basmati rice into cold water, with a little turmeric for colour, bring to the boil and then simmer for 10 minutes then drain.

Layer the rice and curry into an ovenproof dish, cover and bake for about 45 minutes.

Serve with chopped preserved lemon and freshly chopped coriander.  I also like a little mango chutney with mine.

 

Fried Brain Omelette - from 'Arab World Cook Book'

5 brains of lamb or
2 brains of beef
1 1/2 tbs salt
1/2 tsp white pepper
3 tbs flour
11 oz butter
6 eggs

Boil brains. Cool and cut into rounded pieces and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Break eggs and separate white from yellows. Put egg whites in a deep bowl and beat till it forms thick foam. Add to it the beaten egg yellow. Beat again after adding salt and pepper. Add flour and turn lightly with a spoon. Melt butter in skillet. Dip pieces of brains into the beaten eggs and lift the pieces with a spoon taking some of the eggs with it and drop this into the hot butter. Keep the fried brains warm in a container near the heat until ready to serve. Serve with it vegetables or potatoes.