Main: Slow Cooked Lamb Shoulder with Figs
Origin unknown
Dessert: Lemon Cake
Origin unknown
Hello everyone. Hope those of you in Sydney are navigating the weird weather and coming out relatively unscathed.
One of the things I love about cooking is receiving recipes from friends that have been handed down or across the back fence or torn from books in the dentist’s waiting room. Nobody can really say where they originated so cooking them truly allows us to put our own slant on things. This week we have two such recipes. I have used the measurements as they are in the recipes because I didn’t want to mess things up by converting ounces to mils. Hopefully you have scales that convert for you.
However, before I go on I have something exciting to tell you. Well, exciting for me that is. I have been gifted a Kitchen Aid Artisan stand mixer. I am over the moon. Okay, okay, I know what you are thinking…….. yes, get excited over a piece of jewellery or a new handbag. For me, it is kitchen appliances, in particular this one which I have lusted after for some time now. If you could see my face you would see I was smiling even whilst typing about it. Weirdo, right?
Okay, back to cooking. This slow cooked lamb shoulder is the most wonderful combination of flavours. The dates cook down to a fruity mush that combined with the onions is almost like a relish and because the lamb is finished off with the molasses it is runny, sticky and thick. This is a fantastic recipe for a busy day because you can put it in the oven and forget it for around 4-5 hours. Because there is not a whole lot of meat on a shoulder it is advisable to buy two for 8 people. Don’t bother doubling the dates etc as the quantity for one is ample. This is the sort of food I imagine eating under a huge tree next to a vineyard somewhere gorgeous in Italy (even though the flavours are somewhat more middle eastern). Well, we can dream and food can take us to anywhere in our dreams. I served this with simple baked potatoes done in the BBQ and some greens. Plates were licked clean and the family is already asking when are they going to get it again. It was given 10/10. A little tip – if you can’t find fresh dates, us 300g of medjool dates with the stones removed and 300g of peeled, chopped orchard fruits like apples and pears.
Dessert was so easy I felt guilty. A beautiful, light lemon cake (made with the new stand mixer). You don’t even have to cream the butter and sugar first – just throw it all in the bowl and away you go. I always beat for 7 minutes unless the instructions say otherwise. The cake is finished off with combined lemon juice and sugar poured over the warm cake. I served it with cream and berries. This cake can be warmed in the microwave before serving and it freezes beautifully. What a fabulous thing to have at the ready for unexpected guests. Not only a dessert but an afternoon or morning tea treat. 9/10 so I did really well this week.
I do hope you’ll give these two a go. I think they are a must. So until next week……
From my table to your with love.x
