A fantastic leftovers dish, this is simple and very tasty. A hint of garlic and a spoonful of spice bring the compatible trio of ingredients alive. I suggest making up a North African inspired merguez spice mix, but you can use the teaspoonful of smoked paprika on its own to very good effect.
Serves 2
225g large leaf or baby spinach
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
150–200g leftover cooked lamb, cut into broad strips
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
½ x 400g tin chickpeas, drained and rinsed
A squeeze of lemon juice
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
For the merguez spice mix
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 teaspoon fennel seeds
1 teaspoon coriander seeds
1 teaspoon caraway seeds (optional)
10–12 black peppercorns
1 teaspoon sweet smoked paprika
A pinch of cayenne pepper
For the merguez spice mix, combine the cumin, fennel, coriander, caraway seeds, if using, and the black peppercorns in a frying pan. Toast lightly over a medium heat for a minute or so, until fragrant. Tip into a mortar. Once cool, crush with the pestle to a powder, then combine with the paprika and cayenne. Set aside.
If you’re using baby leaf spinach, you won’t need to precook it, but for large leaf spinach, bring a pan of water to the boil. Remove any tough stems from the leaf spinach, then drop into the boiling water and cook for just a couple of minutes, until wilted. Drain in a colander. When cool enough to handle, squeeze all the water from the spinach with your hands, then chop it coarsely.
Heat 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil in a large frying pan over a medium heat. Add the lamb strips and fry for 2–3 minutes, stirring often, until nicely browned. Stir in precooked spinach now. Or, if using raw baby spinach, add it a handful at a time, keeping the heat fairly high and stirring often. As each handful of spinach wilts, add the next, until it is all wilted and combined with the lamb.
Add the other 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, the garlic, chickpeas, 1 tablespoon of the merguez spice mix and some salt and pepper. Lower the heat a little and cook for a couple of minutes, stirring often, to heat the chickpeas and cook the garlic. Add a squeeze of lemon juice, taste and add more salt, pepper and/or spice mix as needed. Allow to cool a little before serving, finished with a final sprinkle of the spice mix. Warm pitta or flatbreads make an ideal accompaniment.
PLUS ONE This dish is beautifully enhanced with a few spoonfuls of thick, plain yoghurt, scattered with a little salt and pepper and a pinch more merguez mix, which you can save for the purpose.