Persian Lamb & Rhubarb Stew
Saturday morning recipes with Simon Mayo & Nigel Barden
Last updated 22nd Mar 2019
Every week on Simon Mayo's Saturday show, we're joined by food and wine expert, Nigel Bardon, who talks us through incredible recipes and the wines that go with them. As well as satisfying your taste buds, we also satisfy your ears with a classical track that compliments the food perfectly.
Simon Mayo's show is on from 10am until 1pm every Saturday and you can listen here. On Saturday 16th March we made Persian Lamb & Rhubarb Stew.
The full recipe is below:
Persian Lamb & Rhubarb Stew
By Felicity Cloake from The A-Z of Eating (Penguin / Fig Tree)
A wonderfully vivid green dish where the sharpness of the rhubarb makes the perfect foil for the rich slow-cooked lamb, though you could substitute beef shin, or even chicken thighs if you prefer. Serve with basmati rice to soak up the turmeric yellow sauce, & a fresh herb salad.
Serves 4
Prep time 10 mins
Cooking time:
Just under 2 hrs
Ingredients:
3 tbsp olive oil
1 large onion, finely sliced
1/2 tsp ground turmeric
500g boned shoulder of lamb, cut into bite-sized chunks
A large bunch of parsley, roughly chopped
A small bunch of mint, leaves only, roughly chopped
A generous pinch of saffron
4 stalks of rhubarb, cut into 4cm lengths
2 tbsp honey, or to taste
2 tbsp flaked almonds, toasted to serve (optional)
Method
Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a casserole dish & soften the onion with a pinch of salt. When golden, add the turmeric & cook for a couple of minutes, then turn up the heat & add the lamb, in batches if necessary, & brown, stirring so the onions don’t burn.
Pour in 500ml of water & scrape the bottom, then bring to a simmer, cover, turn down the heat & simmer for 1 hour.
Heat the remaining oil in a frying pan & fry the chopped herbs for a couple of minutes until they wilt. Add to the casserole along with the saffron & cook for another 15 minutes.
Add the rhubarb, cover & cook for about 15 minutes, until broken down into the sauce. Stir in the honey & taste for seasoning – depending on your rhubarb, you also want to add a little more honey if you find it too sour. Sprinkle with the almonds just before serving if using.
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