Lamb steaks with Friars Farm Middle Eastern Marmalade and Potatoes

Being based in Northamptonshire, Friars Farm, one of the local producers of jams, chutneys and sauces approached me and asked if I'd like to sample some of their products.  Of course being a foodie, and wanting to support local producers, I said yes and I'm thoroughly glad I did too!  They have a fab range of products; the first of which, their Middle Eastern Marmalade, I'm reviewing here. I also used this in a batch of flapjacks that I made, but for that recipe you'll have to wait a short while...!

1 Red onion

4 Lamb leg steaks

4 tsp Friars Farm Middle Eastern Marmalade

Freshly ground black pepper

1 Sweet potato, peeled

2 Large potatoes, washed but not peeled

1 Knorr chicken stock pot, dissolved in:

280ml Boiling water

145ml Orange juice

2 tsp Mint sauce concentrate

1 Knorr rich beef gravy pot

100ml Double Cream

1. Heat the oven to 150℃.

2. Lay the lamb leg steaks in a single layer on the bottom of a rectangular dish.

3. Spread 1 teaspoon of the Friars Farm Middle Eastern Marmalade over each of the lamb steaks.

4. Season with ground black pepper.

5. Slice the sweet potatoes on setting 3 of a Oxo Hand Held Mandoline and layer on top of the lamb steaks.

6. Slice the potatoes on setting 3 of the mandoline then layer these over the sweet potato and lamb.

7. Mix the chicken stock, orange juice and mint sauce concentrate together.

8. Gently pour this over the lamb and potatoes.

9. Cover the dish with foil.  I run my finger gently around the inside of the dish after covering it which creates a low point, thereby enabling the evaporated juices to drip back down into the dish and retaining the moisture.

10. Place in the centre of the oven and cook for 3 hours.

11.  When cooked, remove from the oven and gently drain the juices into a saucepan.
12. Re-cover and keep warm whilst you make the gravy.

13. Add the beef gravy pot to the saucepan and quickly bring to the boil, whisking to distribute the gravy pot.
14. Add the double cream and gently heat through.
15. Serve a lamb steak with the potato topping on a bed of peas with the gravy poured on top.

I was given a range of products from Friars Farm to try.  I was under no obligation to develop or publish a recipe using their products.

Wine Review - Central Co-Operative - Bio Bio Valley Malbec

It’s Saturday evening, the oven is on and the smells of a rich & spiced Lamb Tagine is filling the kitchen.  The red wine I’ve chosen to go with tonight’s dinner is the Bio Bio Valley Malbec from Chile.  Specially selected and imported by the Co-Operative, it’s a dark, dense and robust wine, perfect with tomato based meals such as casseroles, quality burgers, sausages and red meats.

The Malbec grape wines sit between a Cabernet Sauvignon and a Merlot.  It’s detailed as having a mix of sweet blackberry and boysenberry fruits laced with incense and cigar box.  We found it to be dark in colour with ample tannins, smooth on the palate and silky in texture.  It complemented the flavours and spices of the tagine and certainly wasn’t intimidated by the bold meal with which it was served and was equally enjoyable on it’s own with a second glass after dinner was finished.

This review was carried out on behalf of the Central England Co-Operative.  You can find other wine reviews on the We Like Wine Blog and by following them on Twitter @we_like_wine.

I was sent a voucher with which to purchase the wine and was allowed free choice of the bottle that I chose and meal that I paired it with.

Meat Juices Gravy

When you've gone to all the effort and cost of making a roast dinner with a light and crispy Yorkshire Pudding, using whatever is your favourite meat, what better way of using those unctuous juices than in a proper gravy, the way my mum taught me to make it.

Meat Juices from your roast (approx. 250ml)
1 stock cube/Knorr stock pot
45ml (3tbs) Yorkshire pudding mix
30ml (2tbs) Bisto gravy powder
200ml Cold Water
2 or 3 splashes of Tabasco sauce

1. In a saucepan, place your meat juices and stock cube/stock pot.
2. Bring to the boil until your stock cube/stock pot is fully dissolved.
3. Mix the Yorkshire pudding batter mix and your Bisto gravy powder into a paste then add the cold water and mix thoroughly.

4. Pour this into your meat juices and bring to the boil, stirring continuously to prevent lumps forming, until thickened.
5. Add additional boiling water, if the gravy is too thick.
6. Turn the heat down to a simmer and taste.

7. Add a couple of splashes of Tabasco and taste again.  Add an additional splash of Tabasco, one at a time, until you've got the most amazing flavour that you can imagine.
8. Serve poured generously over your Sunday roast!

*It's essential that you stir your gravy continuously when you pour in the Bisto thickened batter mix, or lumps will form as it cooks unevenly. If you don't and the worst does happen, then whisk briskly until they've been broken up. Lumpy gravy is not appetising in the slightest!!!