Shepherd's Pie with Middle Eastern Style Spiced Lamb

The classic Shepherd's Pie undergoes a makeover with the addition of exotic baharat, a Middle Eastern spice mix which combines sweet and warm elements, like cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves with a subtle curry aroma from cumin and coriander. The baharat together with lemon zest, and lemon myrtle give the dish a Moroccan flavour. Serve with boiled vegetable dressed with lemon, and crispy minted potato skins as a side dish.



Spiced Lamb Mince
Adapted from "The Hairy Biker's Cook Off"

500 g lamb mince
1 T olive oil
1 onion, finely diced
1 carrot, finely diced
2 celery sticks, finely diced
1 garlic, smashed
2 T plain flour
500 mL stock or water
1 x 425 g tinned tomatoes in juice
1 bay leaf
2 t baharat, see below
1 T Worcestershire sauce, omited for this dish
1 t lemon zest
1 lemon myrtle leaf
1/2 t salt

1. In a frying pan, add 1 t of olive oil.
2. Render fat from the lamb mince and continue to fry the mince in its fat until brown. Remove the mince and drain the oil.
3. Add more olive oil. Fry onions until soft. Add garlic, celery and carrot. Saute until the vegetables starts to soften. Allow 10 minutes.
4. Return the lamb mince. Stir in the flour and baharat.
5. Add stock and tomatoes. Top with enough water to cover the mince. Add bay leaf.
6. Cover and simmer for 30 minutes. Remove cover and reduce to a thick sauce.
7. Add lemon zest and lemon myrtle. Season to taste.
8. Remove from heat. Discard bay leaf.

Potato Mash

4 (800 g) potatoes
1/4 c cream
1/4 c milk
1 t butter, optional
salt

Boil the potatoes with skins for 40 minutes until soft. Carefully slice off the skins with 3 mm of flesh and reserve. Press potatoes through a sieve. Add cream, milk and butter. Season to taste.

Crispy Potato Skins

Skins from 4 boiled potatoes
1/4 t paprika
1/8 t pepper
1/8 t salt
1/8 t mint or thyme
2 t olive oil

Place potato skins on a baking tray. Sprinkle with paprika, pepper, salt and herb. Drizzle with olive oil. Bake at 220 degrees Celsius for 10-15 minutes until golden and crisp. Serve as as side dish with yoghurt or sour cream.

Baharat

1/2 t cardamom powder
3 cloves
1 t cinnamon powder
1/4 t nutmeg powder
2 t cumin seeds, roasted
1 t coriander powder
1/2 t turmeric
2 t paprika
1 t peppercorn

Mill and store in an airtight jar.

To make the Shepherd's Pie
1. Place cooked mince in a 20 cm casserole.
2. Top with potato mash.
3. Mark the mash with a fork.
4. Dot with 1 t butter.
5. Bake at 180 degrees Celsius for 20-30 minutes until golden

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Classic Lamb Roast

Roast lamb is Australia's national dish according to diehards like controversial Aussie football legend Sam Kekovich. This is the dish for which family members stay home after sacrificing a chance to meet famous actors like Tom Cruise.

The roast can be cooked as is, or perhaps with a sprinkle of salt and a splash of olive oil, and a choice of herbs like rosemary and marjoram. Place the roast in a roasting pan, and brown at 220 degrees Celsius for 20 minutes, before turning down the heat to 180 degrees Celsius to finish cooking to your liking. Allow 20 minutes for every 500 g. All up, it takes around 2 hours to complete the roast to well done. In the last 40 minutes, add roasting vegetables like turnips, pumpkin, potatoes and onions.

For rare roast, roast at 250 degrees Celsius for 15 minutes or sear in a hot pan. Finish off at 150 degrees Celsius for 15-20 minutes. Rest for 15 minutes in a warm oven.

Slow roasting at 120-150 degrees Celsius gives a nice pink interior. Allow 2.5-3 hours cooking time. Finish off by turning up the oven to 220 degrees Celsius for 15 minutes to brown the surface.

Gravy
Decant the oil from the pan juices. Place pan on the stove. Add 2-3 tablespoon of flour to the pan. Allow to brown and then slowly add 2 cups (or more) of hot stock or water while stirring. Simmer for 10-20 minutes minutes until thickened. Season to taste.

Alternatively, start the sauce in the microwave. In a microwave-safe jug, mix 2-3 tablespoon of flour to a smooth paste with equal amount of warm water. Add 1/2 t of herbs like thyme, rosemary or marjoram, pinch of paprika, and season with salt and pepper. While stirring, pour enough boiling water to make 2 cup. Cook in a microwave in 30 seconds intervals until the sauce thickens. When the lamb is ready, decant the oil from the pan juices. Place pan on the stove. Add some water to deglaze. Pour in the sauce. Simmer for 5-10 minutes.

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