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GRAEME PALLISTER'S SCOTCH LAMB MEATBALLS
Graeme Pallister’s Scotch Lamb meatballs
As the chef behind the hugely successful 63 Tay Street in Perth, Graeme Pallister’s food philosophy centres around food being local, honest and simple. This family favourite, using Scotch Lamb, is ticks all those boxes, and is delicious.
Time: 55 mins
Serves: Four
Difficulty: Medium
Ingredients
500g lean Scotch Lamb mince
3 cloves garlic, finely diced
2 small brown onions, finely diced
1 slice of white bread, grated into crumbs
1 egg, lightly beaten
25g fresh tarragon, leaves gently chopped
25g fresh basil
2x 400g tins of chopped tomatoes
200g cherry tomatoes
400g penne pasta
50g parmesan shavings (optional)
Method
Preheat oven to gas mark 6 / 200°C / 400°F.
Mix the lamb, half the garlic and onion, breadcrumbs, egg, a pinch of salt and pepper and tarragon leaves. Shape into 12 balls, (optional: cover with cling film and place in the fridge for 30mins).
In batches, cook the meatballs in oil and allow them to brown all over. Remove and place to one side. Stir the onions and garlic in the pan before adding the chopped tomatoes with a pinch of sugar. Bring up to the boil and allow to simmer for 3-4 minutes.
Add the meatballs back into the pan along with the cherry tomatoes and basil. Stir and bring to a simmer, place in the oven with a lid and bake for approx. 20mins.
Cook the pasta and drain. Remove the meatballs from the oven before adding to the pasta with sauce. Sprinkle the parmesan and sprigs of basil to serve.
CRAIG WILSON'S FILLET OF SCOTTISH LAMB
Craig Wilson’s fillet of Scottish Lamb
A great special-occasion dish that all the family will enjoy – lamb fillet with jus is given the “Kilted Chef” treatment by Craig Wilson of renowned Aberdeenshire restaurant Eat on the Green. The fillets are the easy bit - the jus is more challenging, but worth the effort.
Time: 1hr 30 mins
Serves: Four
Difficulty: Medium
Ingredients
4 x 180g lamb fillets
2 tablespoons rapeseed oil
Salt and pepper
For the lamb jus
1 litre of lamb stock
1 carrot peeled and chopped
2 sticks of celery washed and chopped
1 white onion peeled and chopped
1 bulb of garlic bashed
1 leek washed and chopped
Small handful of thyme
200g lamb trimmings
50 grams tomato puree
200 ml red wine
Rapeseed oil
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Method
Rub rapeseed oil and salt and pepper over the lamb fillets. Heat a frying pan until quite hot. Place lamb fillet in hot pan and seal all the way around. Place fillets in a pre-heated oven 200 c for 5-10 minutes (best served pink). Remove from oven and rest for three minutes.
For the jus, pre-heat the oven to 200C and place the lamb trimmings, carrot, onion, leek, celery and garlic in a large deep roasting tray. Drizzle with the rapeseed oil and lightly toss to coat all ingredients. Place the tray in the oven and roast for 25-30 minutes or until all ingredients are evenly roasted. Remove the tray from the oven and place on a medium/high heat, stir in the tomato puree followed by the red wine. Simmer the red wine and scrape to release any residue from the bottom of the tray.
Once the wine has reduced by half, pour in the fresh lamb stock and add the thyme, check for seasoning and add a salt and ground black pepper to taste. Simmer the sauce, skimming any impurities from the surface and reduce the sauce by half or until the sauce glazes the back of a spoon. Strain the sauce through a fine sieve.
CYRUS TODIWALA'S BLUE CHEESE-STUFFED LAMB BURGERS
Cyrus Todiwala’s blue cheese-stuffed lamb burgers
Celebrity chef Cyrus Todiwala, who co-hosts BBC cookery show Incredible Spice Men with Scottish chef Tony Singh, has come up with an exotic twist on a true kids’ favourite – the burger.
“They might be an American creation, but the Kebab or Kavaab is very Indian, Persian, Turkish, Lebanese and so on,” he says. “In India the burger would actually be a kebab of sorts.
“I simply had to devise a burger with spices. It's simple to put together and just shows what you can do if you think just a little bit differently. So be brave and create – perhaps you will make many more combinations and bring out the best in the lamb you buy.”
Time: 30 minutes
Serves: Six
Difficulty: Easy
Ingredients
675g lamb mince
1 finely chopped medium onion
2-3 cloves minced garlic
1 x 2inch piece minced fresh ginger
1 slender type minced green chilli (seeds included)
1 tbsp ground cumin powder
1½ tbsp ground coriander powder
2 tbsp tomato purée
3 heaped tbsp finely chopped fresh coriander
1 tsp garam Masala powder
1-2 tsp salt
1 tsp crushed black pepper
For the stuffing
150g blue cheese, crumbled
2 finely chopped green chillies
1 tbsp finely chopped fresh coriander
2 finely chopped cloves of garlic
Rolls or bread, to serve
Method
In a large bowl gently mix all the burger ingredients together. Divide into 6 evenly-sized burgers. In a small bowl blend the stuffing ingredients together and shape into equal-sized balls to stuff the burgers.
Make an indentation in the centre of each burger with your thumb and fill with a ball of the cheese. Make sure the cheese is completely encased when you form the burger. Cook on a prepared grill or barbecue for six to eight minutes on each side or until any meat juices run clear.
Serve with your favourite bread or rolls with some sliced tomatoes, onion and lettuce and some relish.
SHEPHERD'S PIE WITH CHEESY LEEK TOPPING
Shepherd’s pie with cheesy leek topping
Shepherd’s Pie has been a family favourite in the UK for more than 200 years, and as we move from summer to the longer, colder evenings of autumn and winter, its teatime appeal rockets.
Time: 1hr 10 mins
Serves: Four
Difficulty: Medium
Ingredients
400g cooked Scotch Lamb, shredded or chopped
1 tbsp sunflower oil
1 large onion, chopped
2 carrots, diced
2 fresh rosemary sprigs
2 tbsp tomato puree
2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
500ml beef stock
75g frozen peas
1 kg white potatoes, cubed
1 small leek, finely shredded
large knob of butter
3 tbsp milk
50g grated mature cheddar
Method
Heat the oil in a large pan and cook the onion and carrots for five minutes until softened. Add the lamb, rosemary, tomato puree, Worcestershire sauce and beef stock. Bring to the boil then simmer gently for 20 minutes. Stir in the frozen peas.
Meanwhile, heat the oven to 190C/ fan 170C/ Gas 5. Cook the potatoes in a large pan of boiling water for 15 minutes until tender. Drain well, (pouring the boiling water onto the leeks in a separate pan to cook for 2 or 3 minutes) and return potatoes to the pan. Mash until smooth, beat in the butter and milk, then add the cooked, drained leeks and stir together.
Transfer the lamb mixture to an ovenproof dish and spoon over the mash. Rake over the top with a fork and sprinkle over the cheese. Sit the dish on a baking sheet. Bake for 25-30 minutes until golden and bubbling around the edges.
GRAEME PALLISTER'S SCOTCH LAMB STIR FRY
Graeme Pallister’s Scotch Lamb stir fry
This delicious stir fry by Graeme Pallister, chef-patron of 63 Tay Street, and former Catering Scotland Chef of the Year, packs in plenty of Asian flavour. The coconut milk and lime will counter the fire of the green chillies but you may still wish to hold back on them if your little ones have sensitive tastebuds.
Time: 45 minutes
Serves: Four
Difficulty: Medium
Ingredients
400g Scotch Lamb leg or fillet cut into strips
2 tbsp red thai curry paste
200g dried Asian noodles (cooked as per packet instructions)
4 shallots, finely sliced
4 cloves garlic, finely sliced
50g coriander, leaves and roots finely chopped
2 green chillies, finely sliced
1 tin of coconut milk
Lime wedges
2 tsps Asian fish sauce
Pinch of sugar
125g green beans, topped, tailed and halved
100g small broccoli florets
2 sweet potatoes, sliced into thin discs
2 mixed peppers, evenly sliced
2 courgettes, evenly sliced
Or use a pre-packed bag of vegetables
Method
Combine the lamb with a tablespoon of curry paste (if you have time, you can put it in the fridge for 30 minutes to develop the flavour).
Fry the lamb strips in a pan with vegetable oil until golden brown. Remove the lamb, and add all the vegetables and cook for two to three minutes. Add the garlic, coriander, and chillies and stir briefly before adding the lamb, the fish sauce, a squeeze of lime juice, half of the coriander leaves, a pinch of sugar and the coconut milk. Bring to the boil, add the noodles and simmer for two minutes. Season to taste and serve with a lime wedge.
• This article was produced in partnership with Quality Meat Scotland
