Mulled lamb

Throw some inexpensive lamb cuts in with plenty of spice and a little Christmas port, sit back and relax.

By Nigel Slater
From Nigel Slater's 12 Tastes of Christmas

Ingredients

  • 1 tsp cardamompods, seeds only
  • 1 tsp cuminseed
  • 1 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 3 tbsp ground nutoil, plus extra for frying
  • 600g/1lb 7oz lamb neckfillet, cut into large chunks
  • 12 baby shallots
  • 1 tbsp plain flour
  • 300ml/10½fl oz port
  • 800ml/1½pt lamb stock or beef stock
  • 300g/10½oz prunes
  • 1 cinnamonstick
  • salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 pomegranate, seeds only
  • 6-10 mintleaves

Method

  1. Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas 4.

  2. In a mortar and pestle, grind together the caradmom seed and the cumin seed to a powder, then stir in the ground cinnamon.

  3. Mix in the spices with the groundnut oil and rub the spice paste all over the chunks of lamb.

  4. In a large casserole, fry the lamb in a little more oil until browned all over and then set aside (you may need to do this in batches).

  5. In the same pan, fry the shallots for five minutes until golden-brown and then return the lamb to the pan.

  6. Add the flour and cook through for a minute.

  7. Pour in the port and the stock. Add the prunes and cinnamon stick and season well with salt and freshly ground black pepper.

  8. Put a lid on the casserole and bake for an hour.

  9. Serve with a scattering of pomegranate seeds and some torn mint leaves.