The first time I made this in the slow cooker, our Irish friend Mervyn happened to come to visit us. After an ample serving of the stew, he said, ‘It tastes like it came straight from my Aunt Connie’s stew pot, but I’m so blootered I’ll have to have a pan crock!’ Little did he know the aptness of his words, prepared as the stew was in the crockpot. Translated it means: ‘I’m so full I’ll need to have a little lie down.’
700 g potatoes
2 onions
500 g lean diced lamb
1 teaspoon salt
3 teaspoons cornflour (optional)
Peel the potatoes and cut into 3 cm chunks. Peel and dice the onion. Place in the slow cooker. Place the lamb on top. Sprinkle with the salt and pour ¾ cup of water over the mixture.
Place lid on cooker and cook for 5 hours on High or 8–9 hours on Low.
If necessary, mix the cornflour with about 2 tablespoons of cold water to a paste and use a little or all of it to thicken the stew. Add salt and pepper to taste.
1 onion
½ red capsicum
½ cup semi-dried tomatoes
½ cup sliced dried apricots
¼ cup chopped chorizo sausage
2 teaspoons quince or redcurrant jelly or apricot jam
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
2 teaspoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 cup stock
750 g lean diced lamb
1 tablespoon chopped rosemary
2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons cornflour (optional)
Peel and dice the onion. Remove the stalk, seeds and membrane from the capsicum and dice. Chop the semi-dried tomatoes. Place in the slow cooker with the dried apricots, chorizo, jelly, Worcestershire sauce, soy sauce, tomato paste, stock, lamb, rosemary and salt. Stir well to combine.
Place lid on cooker and cook for 4–5 hours on High or 7–8 hours on Low.
If necessary, mix the cornflour with about 1 tablespoon of cold water to a paste and use a little or all of it to thicken the dish. Add salt and pepper to taste.
800 g lean lamb
800 g quinces
2 onions
½ cup apple juice
½ cup water
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon sweet chilli sauce
1 tablespoon well-flavoured chutney, such as green tomato
2 teaspoons tomato paste
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon salt
3 teaspoons cornflour (optional)
Remove any visible fat from the lamb and dice. Peel and core the quinces and cut into 1.25 cm dice. Peel and finely dice the onion. Place all in the cooker.
Add the remaining ingredients, except the cornflour, and stir to combine.
Place lid on cooker and cook for 3½ hours on High or 7 hours on Low.
If necessary, mix the cornflour with about 2 tablespoons of cold water to a paste and use a little or all of it to thicken the dish. Add salt and pepper to taste.
This dish, with its pungent citrus and spice undertones, should be served with couscous or steamed rice and most definitely accompanied by a side dish of a little natural yoghurt sprinkled with chopped mint. To lighten the flavours a little, half a cup of natural yoghurt can also be mixed in at the end of cooking time.
750 g lean lamb
1 onion
2 cloves garlic
1 tablespoon honey
1 teaspoon turmeric
1 teaspoon ground cumin
½ teaspoon ground coriander
½ cup stock
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon grated green ginger root
1 teaspoon orange rind juice of 1 lemon
1 teaspoon brown sugar
1 teaspoon very finely diced preserved lemon rind
2 teaspoons cornflour (optional)
1 cup natural yoghurt, to serve, plus ½ cup extra (optional)
3 teaspoons finely chopped mint
Remove any visible fat from the lamb and dice. Peel and dice the onion. Peel and crush the garlic. Place all in the slow cooker and add the honey, turmeric, cumin, coriander, stock, salt, ginger, orange rind, lemon juice, brown sugar and preserved lemon rind and stir to mix well.
Place lid on cooker and cook for 3½–4 hours on High or 7–8 hours on Low.
If necessary, mix the cornflour with about 1 tablespoon of cold water to a paste and use a little or all of it to thicken the stew. Stir in the extra yoghurt, if desired. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Serve with the yoghurt sprinkled with the chopped mint to the side.
600 g sweet potatoes
1 onion
1 kg lean lamb
2 teaspoons redcurrant jelly
juice of 1 lemon
½ cup stock or water
1½ teaspoons salt
1 tablespoon tomato sauce (ketchup)
3 teaspoons sweet chilli sauce
1 tablespoon cornflour
Spinach and Cheesy Rice Crust
1 cup cold cooked rice
1½ cups self-raising flour
½ cup milk
2 eggs
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
60 g butter, melted
1 cup shredded spinach or silverbeet
1 tablespoon chopped parsley
¾ cup grated tasty cheese
1 teaspoon salt
Peel the sweet potato and cut into 1 cm dice. Peel and dice the onion. Remove any visible fat from the lamb and dice. Place in the slow cooker with the redcurrant jelly, lemon juice, stock or water, salt, tomato sauce and sweet chilli sauce. Stir to combine.
Place lid on cooker and cook for 4–5 hours on High or 8–9 hours on Low.
Mix the cornflour with about 2 tablespoons of cold water to a paste and use a little or all of it to thicken the mixture. Add salt and pepper to taste. Replace lid and turn cooker setting to High.
To make the spinach and cheesy rice crust, place the rice, flour and milk in a bowl but do not stir. Separate the eggs. Whisk the egg yolks and add to the rice mixture, then add the Worcestershire sauce and melted butter and mix together very well. Add the spinach or silverbeet, parsley, cheese and salt. Mix well.
Whisk the eggwhites until stiff peaks form, then fold into the rice mixture until well combined.
Spoon the rice mixture evenly over the lamb mixture. Replace lid and cook for 1 hour on High.
3 carrots
1 onion
1.5 kg lamb shanks (4 or 5)
1 clove garlic
250 g tomatoes, chopped
1 cup tomato sauce (ketchup)
½ cup medium dry or dry sherry
1 heaped tablespoon tomato paste
2 teaspoons chutney
2 teaspoons quince jelly (optional)
2 teaspoons vegetable stock powder
1 teaspoon preserved lemon or grated lemon rind
1 tablespoon cornflour (optional)
Lemon Couscous
1 cup couscous
1 teaspoon grated lemon rind
½ teaspoon vegetable stock powder
1 cup boiling water
1½ tablespoons chopped parsley
Peel the carrots and cut into quarters. Peel and dice the onion. Place in the slow cooker and put the lamb shanks on top.
Peel and crush the garlic and add to the cooker with the remaining ingredients, except the cornflour, adding 1 cup of water last. Stir gently.
Place lid on cooker and cook for 4 hours on High or 8–9 hours on Low.
Add salt and pepper to taste. If necessary, mix the cornflour with about ¼ cup of cold water to a paste and use a little or all of it to thicken the pan juices. Stir through the braise and cook for a further 5 minutes.
To make the lemon couscous, combine the couscous, lemon rind and stock powder in a bowl. Pour the boiling water evenly over the couscous mixture. Cover and leave to stand for 5 minutes. Fluff up the couscous with a fork.
To serve, fold the parsley through the couscous, or sprinkle over the dish.
1.5–2 kg leg of lamb, tunnel-boned (see note)
1 onion
⅓ cup dried apricots
1 cup fresh breadcrumbs
2 teaspoons chutney
2 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary leaves
½ teaspoon dried rosemary
½ teaspoon grated lemon rind
½ teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons oil
Redcurrant Jus
2 teaspoons redcurrant jelly
2 teaspoons tomato paste
1 teaspoon chicken or vegetable stock powder
2 teaspoons cornflour (optional)
Remove any visible fat from the leg of lamb. Peel and grate the onion. Chop the dried apricots. Place in a bowl with the breadcrumbs, chutney, fresh and dried rosemary, lemon rind and salt. Mix well, then stuff into the cavity of the lamb leg.
Heat the oil in a heavy-based frying pan and brown the lamb lightly on all sides. Place in the slow cooker.
Place lid on cooker and cook for 4 hours on High or 8 hours on Low.
Remove the lamb from the cooker, reserving the juices, and place on a board. Cover with foil and leave to rest while making the redcurrant jus.
To make the jus, place a strainer over a medium saucepan and strain the juices from the cooker. Add the redcurrant jelly, tomato paste and stock powder and bring to the boil. Boil until there is approximately 1 cup of liquid remaining.
If necessary, mix the cornflour with 1 tablespoon of cold water to a paste and use a little or all of it to thicken the jus. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Note: Ask your butcher to remove the bone from the lamb for you,
2 tablespoons olive oil
500 g lamb mince
1 large or 2 small onions
4 cloves garlic
2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 teaspoons ground coriander
¼ teaspoon ground cardamom
1 tablespoon chopped dried apricots
1½ tablespoons chopped dried figs
2 tablespoons slivered almonds
2 teaspoons lemon juice
1 cup stock or water
2 teaspoons honey
2 teaspoons chutney
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon sweet chilli sauce
2 tablespoons chopped parsley
2 teaspoons cornflour (optional)
couscous, to serve
Heat the oil in a heavy-based saucepan and lightly brown the lamb mince, stirring from time to time to break it up. Peel and dice the onion. Peel and crush the garlic. Add to the mince and cook for a further minute. Add the cumin, coriander and cardamom and cook for another minute.
Add the apricot, fig, almonds, lemon juice, stock or water, honey, chutney, salt and sweet chilli sauce. Stir to combine. Pour mixture into the slow cooker.
Place lid on cooker and cook for 2 hours on High or 3½ hours on Low.
If necessary, mix the cornflour with about 1 tablespoon of cold water to a paste and use it to thicken the dish. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Mix the parsley through the lamb at the end of cooking time. Serve with couscous.
600 g eggplants
2 teaspoons olive oil
600 g lean lamb mince
1 large onion
4 cloves garlic
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
2 teaspoons chutney
1 teaspoon salt
2 large tablespoons tomato paste
1½ cups diced fresh, canned or bottled tomatoes
1 tablespoon cornflour
⅔ cup grated tasty cheese, plus ½ cup extra
½ cup grated parmesan cheese
Cheese Sauce
1½ tablespoons cornflour
2⅓ cups milk
1 egg
½ cup grated tasty cheese
Remove the ends from the eggplants and cut into 1 cm slices. Cook in two batches in the microwave for about 5–6 minutes on High. Dry on paper towel to soak up any excess liquid. Press lightly to make sure the eggplant is as dry as possible.
Heat the oil in a saucepan and brown the lamb mince, stirring from time to time to break it up well.
Peel and finely dice the onion. Peel and crush the garlic. Add to the lamb and cook for a further minute. Add the Worcestershire sauce, chutney, salt, tomato paste, tomato and ½ cup of water. Bring to the boil and cook for about 4 minutes. Mix the cornflour with about 2 tablespoons of cold water to a paste and use it to thicken the mixture.
To make the cheese sauce, mix the cornflour with ¼ cup of the milk to a paste. Heat the remaining milk to boiling point and thicken with the cornflour paste, stirring constantly with a wire whisk. Remove from the heat and whisk in the egg and cheese.
Spray the slow cooker with cooking oil. Spread a little of the lamb mixture over the base, then add a layer of eggplant slices. Top with half the remaining lamb, ⅓ cup tasty cheese and half the remaining eggplant. Finish with the remaining lamb, ⅓ cup tasty cheese and the remaining eggplant. Pour over the cheese sauce. Scatter over the parmesan combined with the extra tasty cheese.
Place lid on cooker and cook for 2 hours on Low. Leave to stand for 30 minutes, if possible, before serving.