LOVELY LAMB

I wondered why there were no photos of this dish in Tamasin Day-Lewis's "Simply the Best" - and now I know!!!  Although not the prettiest meal you will ever serve up - it could well be the tastiest (certainly if you take work/taste ratio into account!!!)

TDL calls this Estouffade d'Agneau, but it is called the "nice lamb" here!!!  It is so simple that you will find it hard to imagine how good it tastes - no wine, no garlic, no herbs - just a really good quality olive tapenade (TDL specifies Carluccio's crema do olive nere - this is what I usually use, but I have used my local delicatessen's home made tapenade and it was really good too).

She also specifies lamb shoulder - but I have such fat averse people in this house that I always use a leg of lamb, and it works perfectly. 

Lamb with olive

1kg/2 1/2 lb         cubed shoulder (or leg) of lamb
200g/7oz              Carluccio's crema di olive nere
                                               or
                             Excellent quality black olive tapenade with 1 tsp capers and pinch oregano.

Preheat oven to 150 C

Put the cubed lamb in the bottom of a heavy casserole
Empty the jar of tapenade over the meat.
Cover with a greaseproof paper lid and then the casserole lid.
Leave in the oven for 2 hours.
That's it !!!!!!!

I served it with mashed potato (to get maximum soakage!) and these veggies:

I fried a punnet of mushrooms in olive oil and a small amount of butter, then added asparagus, spinach and some left over cabbage - delicious (and worked really well with the lamb).

P.S. The photo of the lamb was taken after a couple of servings - you get more than that from 1kg meat!!!

BROWNIES EIGHT

There is something I really like about Tamasin Day-Lewis, (apart from being Daniel Day-Lewis's sister) I particularly like her programmes from her old house, where she produces really fantastic food from a tiny kitchen, a wonkey cooker and a serious lack of gadgets - there is something incredibly accessible about her and her food.

I am also a fan of her cookery books, she has some really fantastic (and different) recipes, although I do think she labours the "organic" point a bit too much.  My most recent TDL book is Tamasin's Kitchen Bible which I bought about six months ago, I have read it extensively but haven't cooked much from it.

No prizes in guessing what my first port of call is in any new book!!  And these are her Chocolate Brownies, and very nice they are too.  They had a perfect chocolate hit, and that melt in the mouth texture that is so necessary in a good brownie - my only criticism (and it's small) is that I prefer my brownies a bit higher (taller?) and next time I make them I will use a smaller tin. (This will also help with the drying out at the edges issue!)

For Saffy - there come in at 2nd/3rd place!!


TDL's Brownies

200g             dark chocolate (as ever good quality is really important)
110g             softened butter
225g             caster sugar (unrefined vanilla is best)
2 eggs and 1 egg yolk  (I used 3 whole eggs as mine were only medium sized)
3 tbsp           freshly made strong coffee
140g             plain flour
1 tsp             baking powder
a handful of whole hazelnuts (I used toasted)

Preheat oven to 180 C
Prepare a 30x22cm/12x9in tin (although I will use a smaller tin next time) with parchment paper.

Melt the chocolate in a bowl, placed over (not touching) simmering water.
Cream the softened butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
Pour in the chocolate and coffee and stir.
Sift in the flour and baking powder and fold in carefully.
Pour the mixture into the prepared tin.
Push in hazelnuts (so that you have one in each brownie when cooked and cut up)

Cook for about 25 minutes (you should check before this, mine were overcooked at the edges)
Leave to cool in the tin for 15/20 minutes then remove to a wire rack.

Enjoy.

P.S. (For Irish readers)  This book is being sold at a bargain price in Easons at the moment - worth a look!