Lamb Dishes

Australian lamb is the best in the world, it is very high-quality meat, tender and less fat.  There is no disappointment to cook the lamb.  I cook lamb meat for particular dishes. The lamb chops are for BBQ, the leg is delicious for roasting, and the shanks are perfect and succulent for braising.  However using the leg of lamb for curry is good too, instead of using a leg of goat as the traditional curry in Java Gulai Kambing. Lamb mincemeat with cumin to make meatballs and fried served with yoghurt is delicious. The favourite is a roast lamb for Sunday Best.

 My Kitchen

Gulai Kambing-Lamb Curry Javanese Style

The recipe for this lamb curry using a leg of a goat is in the older post.  Type gulai kambing to search.



Gulai Kambing using the lamb shanks
Gulai Kikil (Javanese  curry lamb shanks)

Herbs and Spices

The Lamb Shanks

Pan-frying the spices and braising the shanks

The lamb shanks are cooked

Serving

Ingredients:
4-6 lamb shanks, 2 tablespoons tamarind juice
(rub the legs with the sauce, keep aside)
2 cups water or stock
1 tin coconut milk (400 mils)
1/4 cup vegetable oil (for sauteing the spices and herbs and also for pan-frying the shanks)

Herbs: 5 kaffir lime leaves, 1 lemongrass.  Juice of a lime.
Spices: 3 cloves garlic,  2 large shallots (or a small onion), a slice of fresh ginger and galangal, some kencur (can be purchased in Asian grocery stores), 1 heap  tablespoon of turmeric powder, 1 teaspoon coriander seeds, *1 teaspoon ginger powder, 1 teaspoon chilli powder, 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon cloves powder, 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg, 6 candlenuts.
Grind the coriander seeds, and mix with all spices, put in the grinder or food processor, process them to make a smooth paste.
* I use both ginger powder and also fresh ginger, you cannot omit the fresh ginger, but you can go without the ginger powder.

Salt, sugar (brown sugar or coconut sugar) about 2 teaspoons each.

Fried shallot and fresh chopped parsley or coriander leave to garnish.

Method:
In a heavy-based pot, fry the spice paste with oil until fragrant, add in the fresh herbs, the juice of a lime.  Add the shanks, and let them cook for a few minutes.  Stir in the water or stock, and add in salt, sugar, cover the pot and cook to braise for one hour over medium heat.  At this point, add in the coconut milk and continue cooking over low heat for another hour.  Total cooking at least two hours.
The shanks are very tender and juicy in a vibrant and golden spiced coconut sauce.

To serve the dish, only with steamed white rice, acar and krupuk udang (prawn crackers) for its accompaniments.

Delicious Braised Lamb Shanks
It is suitable for Autumn cooking or Wintertime.

Mix fruits for Braising the lamb shanks

Freshly Baked Braised Lamb Shanks

The recipe:

Susy's Braised Lamb Shanks

fresh fruit for braising the shanks

2 lamb shanks
Mix fruits: 
1/2 cup red grapes
1/2 red apple, sliced
2 nectarines, seeded and halved
1 red plum
1 tablespoon turmeric
2 bay leaves
2 cloves garlic
1/2 cup water
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon oil
Method

1. Place the fruits in a casserole dish.
2. Sprinkle with half of the turmeric
3. Lay the shanks on top, and sprinkle the rest of the turmeric over
4. Add the salt, oil and water.
5. Cover the casserole dish
6. Bake in the slow oven, 160 degrees for 25 minutes
7. Reduce the heat to 145 degrees C, keep on cooking for 1 hour and 45 minutes.
8. Take out from the oven, open the lid very carefully, the steam is hot.
9. Turn the shank over, then cover again.  Put aside until serving time.

Enjoy and try to cook braised shanks,  adjust the recipe if you wish to prepare for a family of six.  You may have to 



Roast Lamb
Roast lamb is the best for family dinner, I cooked this for an Easter, and it was a success.  The recipe, please look on an older post, type-roast leg of lamb to search.

Other dishes of the leg of lamb with a different method of cooking.  One is roasted and added some stock, and the other one is placed on a trinket to roast.

Roasting Australian Lamb

 

The Great Roast of Australian Lamb
Juice and Succulent

Basting the Roast Lamb
Cooking the meat regularly to get
an excellent result of roasting.

Other   Way    to    Roast   Leg   of    Lamb

Place the Leg of Lamb of a Rack to Roast

Grilled meat in skewers Javanese Style ( Sate Kocok)

A rapid cooking method, grilled lamb fillet served with a sauce or Sate Kocok

Sate Kocok
(Grilled meat on skewers)

Garnish: sliced tomatoes, cucumbers, shallots or red onion
Shredded kaffir lime leaves
The meat: cubes of the leg of lamb steak about 16, rub in salt and soy
Sate: pierce the meat cubes-8 with bamboo skewers
(it makes 2 skewers)
To cook: Grill the Sate, in the hot heat for a minute each side until cooked.

The dressing
1 tablespoon grated palm sugar or coconut sugar
2 tablespoon water
2 tablespoon sweet soy (kecap manis)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 chilli, crushed
1-2 large limes (the juice only)
Mix together all ingredients, mix until smooth then add the shredded kaffir leaves.

Dressing and Garnish for the Sate Kocok (grilled lamb on skewers)

Add some pomelo flesh on the garnish if you like.

Sate Kocok is Served

It is a very appetising dish, the tender grilled lamb 

served with sweet and sour dressing and garnish with vegetables

and juicy pomelo flesh.

Sate kocok is one of my family favourite in Java.  My father and mother loved the dish so much.  We used to have a treat of taking away Sate Kocok, the meat was not a lamb but goat meat.

You can quickly cook the sate on the BBQ, have a try, you may like it, after all, we have the best lamb meat in the world. Small serve and lean meat are needed if you want to lead a healthy lifestyle.

Within a week or two, I would like to pick the two Pomelos.  It keeps well, the longer you store, the better the taste is going to be. 

Lamb and Vegetable Tajine

Cooking Susy's Lamb and Vegetables Stew/Tajine with Cous Cous

the spices for the stew

stewing the shanks & spices
for the first hour and more 

the lamb shanks, veg and spices

cous cous - grain,
chopped preserved lemon , appricots

the vegetables for the stew

cooking couscous
in the couscoussiere

The Recipe
Moroccan Lamb Vegetable Tajine / Stew with Cous Cous 
(Susy's Style)

Ingredients:
2 lamb shanks

dried apricots and preserved lemons

The vegetables:
Pumpkin, broccoli, beans, potatoes, broad beans, carrots, cheek peas 
1/3 cup raw almonds (optional)
1 onion, chopped
4 cloves of garlic, chopped
3 apricots, 6 dated, chopped
small fresh turmeric, chopped
some saffron
1/2 teaspoon cumin powder
1/2 teaspoon dry marjoram
1/2 teaspoon Cinnamon powder
1/2 teaspoon coriander powder
1/2 teaspoon dried mint

mild chilli, chopped apricots and dates

1/2 teaspoon white pepper
1/2 teaspoon paprika powder
Oil to saute
6 cups meat stock/water ( or more than 6)
Salt to taste

1 cup couscous
1 tablespoon chopped preserved lemons
4 chopped dried apricots
Chopped fresh coriander, mint or parsley to garnish
Method
In a hot pan, pan-fry the shanks with oil to seal, keep aside
Saute the onion, garlic with oil in the bottom of the couscousiere until soft
Add in the rest of the spices, saffron the water and cook to simmer
Add in the lamb shanks, and cook-bring to simmer again
Continue cooking over medium-high heat for the first half-hour, covered
Lower the heat, add in the dates, apricots, almonds and braise for another hour
After that, add in all the vegetables and continue cooking until the vegetables are a cook
The last 10 minutes of cooking time, you can steam the couscous on top
Check the couscous and add some more water if needed,
Add some chopped apricots, preserved lemons in the couscous, at the last 3minutes of cooking

Total cooking: 2 hours and a half approx
To serve: Serve hot.
Place the couscous on a serving dish
Place the stew on a serving Tajine, and place extra broth in a serving bowl


Serving the Tajine

Serving Stew  And  Cous Cous

serving the stew in a tajine

lamb and vegetable tajine, couscous
and the broth/sauce of the stew

serving the stew in a tajine, the sauce
and couscous in a white tajine

Moroccan food - the tajine/stew is so flavoursome, and the cooking technique is so simple.  Basically, it is a casserole, but it is cooked on top of the stove.

You can cook this dish in any heavy-based pot, you do not need to have a tajine or coucousiere.  To prepare the couscous, you just follow the instruction from the packet, it is widespread now that the shops sell instant couscous.  
Seal the shanks on hot oil first before putting them into the casserole.

Enjoy cooking lamb meat this winter, braising or roasting are suitable for the season.  You may wish to try braised lamb shank, or Gulai Kambing (Javanese Lamb Curry) using lamb shanks, the recipes are here for you.

Until Next Post

Susy

SAVOURIES

No sweet cooking today, but savoury.  Pancake with kale works so well, it can be made small mini pancakes or one a large one.  It serves warm or room temperature with any garnish that you like.
The large pancake was for lunch, it was served hot with creamy salmon in cabbage.

Quick and easy cooking.
Here is the recipe for you.

Pancake with Kale.

Ingredients

1 cup self - raising flour
1 cup milk
1 tablespoon margarine
1 egg
1 kale leaf, chopped
A pinch of salt
2 tablespoons fresh herbs and avocado mixture.
( Avocado Mixture:1/2 avocado, juice of 1/2 lemon chopped parsley, chive,
2 tablespoons oil 2 and 2 tablespoons water, mix in a blender to make a smooth mixture.  Place in a jar, refrigerated, use anytime as it is needed.  It keeps well for five days)
The Pancake Mixture
Mix together, the flour, milk, margarine, egg and salt.  Mix quickly but not overbeat.

Add in the avocado mixture, stir to combine and add in the chopped kale, and stir to mix.


Cooking the pancake.
Cook in a large frying pan with oil over medium heat.
Pour all of the pancake mixtures, spread evenly on the frying pan, and cook until a little bubble showing up.

  Carefully turn the pancake over to cook the other side.  Continue cooking over lower heat until the pancake is cooked (two minutes)

Now you have it, a soft and light savoury pancake, serve for two-four people.
Garnish as you wish, it is delicious with fish or prawns.

Savouries are preferable than sweets for my family, and they are effortless to cook and to prepare.  Look at the savoury dishes and their recipes in the older posts

Other Savouries.

Lumpia, a delicious fresh pancake filled with meat and vegetables.  Please find the recipe in the older post, simply type lumpia to search.

Martabak

Pan-fried, meat and eggs mixture, wrapped in water pastry.  Delicious savoury which readily available in the street eats in Java.  And you can easily make and cook martabak at home.

Martabak

Martabak with Meat and Vegetables

Ricotta Cheese and Egg Pie
Light and yet creamy this ricotta pie is using water pastry.  To make these delicious savouries, please look at the older post.  Simply type pastry page to search.

Almost Samosa

These little delicate savouries are made with fine lining paste.  Recipe for the lining paste is in the pastry page.

The pies filling you could improvise.

Delicious and Fried

Susy Chicken Pie

Ready to Bake

Freshly Baked Pies

The half-moon shape of vegetable pie is cute and freeze well, simply take them out and bake in a hot oven for 25 minutes. Serve warm.

Half Moon Vegetable Pie

Ready for Baking

Resoles

It is savoury pancake filled with meat and vegetable ragu.  One of my grandchildren favourites.  Look at the older post.  Type resoles to search. You will find how to do and all pictures as well as step by step how to make this delicious savoury-resoles.

Enjoy the recipes and happy cooking!

Until Next Post

Susy