Serves 8

Ingredients:

1 1⁄2lb (675g) ground lamb

2 onions, roughly chopped

4 garlic cloves, finely chopped

handful of fresh cilantro, finely chopped

handful of flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped

2 tsp paprika

juice and zest of 1 lemon

2 tbsp tomato paste or purée

4 tbsp pine nuts

3 eggs

6 tbsp all-purpose flour

sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

8 tbsp olive oil

6 medium potatoes, cut into 3⁄4in (2cm) pieces

2 red peppers, seeded and sliced

2 yellow peppers, seeded and sliced

3 x 14oz (400g) cans diced tomatoes

2 tsp fennel seeds, crushed

Method:

1 Preheat the oven to 300°F (150°C). Put the lamb, onions, garlic, cilantro, parsley, paprika, lemon juice and zest, tomato paste, pine nuts, eggs, and flour in a mixing bowl and season with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. Mix well with your hands to form a chunky paste.

2 Shape a spoonful of the mixture into a ball. Repeat with the rest of the mixture to make 32 meatballs in all. Heat 3 tablespoons of the oil in a large heavy-based pan. Cook the meatballs in batches for 10 minutes each, turning the meatballs several times during cooking to ensure they brown all over. As each batch is cooked, remove with a slotted spoon, and set aside.

3 When all the meatballs are cooked, add the potatoes and peppers to the pan, and cook over high heat, turning frequently, for 10 minutes, or until starting to brown. Add the tomatoes and fennel seeds, stir well to combine, then season with plenty of sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. Return the meatballs to the pan and stir well to coat with the sauce. Add the remaining oil, cover, and put in the oven for 1 hour. Serve hot from the pan with crusty bread and a green salad.

Lebanese meatballs

SERVES 4

Ingredients:

scant 1oz (25g) package mixed dried mushrooms (shiitake, oyster, porcini), rinsed

1 tbsp sesame oil or sunflower oil

2in (5cm) piece of fresh ginger, thinly sliced and cut into thin strips

2 x 5½oz (150g) packets of fresh thick or medium udon noodles

4 cups hot vegetable stock

2 tbsp soy sauce

2 tbsp Asian fish sauce, such as nam pla

salt and freshly ground black pepper

splash of hot chili oil, to taste

Method:

1 Put the dried mushrooms in a heatproof bowl, and cover with about 1¼ cups boiling water. Leave to soak for 20–30 minutes.

2 Heat the oil in a large sauté pan over low heat. Add the ginger, and cook for 2–3 minutes until fragrant. Add the noodles, and stir for a couple of minutes more to break them up.

3 Pour in the hot stock, soy sauce, and fish sauce, and bring to a boil.

4 Meanwhile, strain the mushrooms through a fine sieve, reserving the liquid. Add the mushrooms to the pan, and reduce the heat to low. Strain the reserved soaking liquid through a fine sieve again to remove any grit, and pour the strained liquid into the pan. Simmer gently for 20–30 minutes.Taste, and season with salt and pepper. Add a splash of chili oil to taste, and serve hot.

Cook’s Notes:

The flavors of this soup develop more if it is made a few hours ahead, then simply reheated to serve.

Noodle broth with dried mushrooms

SERVES 4

Ingredients:

1 tbsp olive oil

1 onion, finely chopped

1 tsp cumin seeds

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1 tsp ground allspice

sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

1½ cups dried Puy lentils, picked over and rinsed well

4 cups hot vegetable stock

½ cup pine nuts

½ cup dried apricots, coarsely chopped

Method:

1 Heat the oil in a large deep frying pan over low heat. Add the onion and cook gently for about 5 minutes until soft and translucent. Stir in the cumin seeds, cinnamon, and allspice, and season well with salt and pepper.

2 Stir in the lentils until thoroughly mixed. Pour in the hot stock. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low. Simmer gently for 30–40 minutes until the lentils are tender but not mushy. Keep an eye on the pan, and add more hot water if the lentils appear dry.

3 Meanwhile, toast the pine nuts in a small dry frying pan over a low heat for about 5 minutes until they begin to turn golden; watch carefully, as they can burn very quickly. Stir the pine nuts into the lentils along with the apricots. Taste, and season again if needed. Serve hot.

Cook’s Notes:

Always rinse dried lentils thoroughly before using. They can be muddy and gritty.

Lebanese flavored lentils