There isn’t much better on a winter’s day than a slow cooked mean. The whole house fills with the amazing smell of the cooking dinner, there is a no fuss component of a slow cooker meal and the meat is generally tender and juicy as the machine works its magic. The winter calls for slow cooked meals and is the perfect time to do them. Think ahead and get them organised before lunch, then sit back and let it do its magic.
This meal was a sweet, rich, tender dinner that will certainly be on the menu again.
slow cooked lamb with prunes and saffron
Ingredients
1kg boneless lamb shoulder – trimmed and cut into 3cm cubes
3 large onions
1tbsp Harissa
2tbsp sundried tomato paste
20 prunes – not dried
1c vegetable stock
pinch of saffron threads soaked in 1/4c boiling water
2tsp cinnamon
salt and pepper
1tbsp honey
ghee – few tbsp to cook with
1-2tbsp pomegranate and balsamic molasses – recipe below
Directions
First, get your slow cooker set to low.
Place some ghee into a hot pan, and cook your lamb in batches just browning the outside. Remove and set aside.
Add your diced onion and some more Ghee to the pan and cook for about 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, make your molasses. I used a pomegranate and balsamic sauce, but you could use a combination of pomegranate juice and balsamic. So, use 1/4c of the sauce or combination mis, add to a hot-pot and bring to the boil, add a dash of lemon juice and add a tbsp of castor sugar. Reduce to a thick sauce.
Add 1-2tbsp of this to the onion once the onion is cooked, now add your honey, cinnamon, prunes, Harissa, pesto, saffron and Soaking liquid and salt and pepper.
Stir through to combine and add the lamb and combine.
Add everything into the slow cooker and 1c of vegetable stock. Give it a stir and place the lid on for 6hrs. Give it a stir every a couple of hrs.
Serving options: with couscous, seasoned with salt, pepper and parsley. With some crispy toasted Baguette. yum!
Note: For additional richness you could also add some red wine too. If you are going to do this, add it in with the molasses and reduce.
