For the Love of Lamb

Resident chef Samantha Parish will have your mouth watering with these delicious, easy to make lamb recipes.

Middlehurst Merino lamb is grass-fed, sustainable and tenderly delicious. Finished on their Canterbury farm, it makes perfect sense to get one of their slow cooker boxes delivered to your door. The meat is in a league of its own but it takes tasting it to know the difference, so cosy up to these slow recipes that are packed with flavour to nourish you through the frost of winter and warm you from the inside out.

Recipes, words, styling & images Samantha Parish

One-Pan Lamb Rack with Roasted Tomato Orzo

Serves 4–6 (Pictured above)

Prep 10 mins

Cooking 30 mins

Lamb racks seem to truly scare a home cook, but this recipe is foolproof – a one-pan wonder that leaves you with beautifully cooked lamb and tomato-coated pasta. Minimal effort required for a maximum result, an every-kind-of-night dish that dazzles!

2 x 450 g Merino lamb racks

50 g butter

2 tbsp olive oil, plus extra for drizzling

3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced

2 tbsp tomato paste

1 cup (220 g) orzo or risoni pasta

800 g mixed small tomatoes

50g Danish feta

1 zucchini, thinly sliced

basil leaves and lemon wedges to serve

reheat oven to 180°C. Rub the lamb with flaked salt and cracked pepper. Heat butter and 1 tbsp of the oil in a large oven-proof frypan over medium-high heat. Add lamb racks, fat side down and cook, without touching, for 5 minutes or until seared and golden.

Transfer to a plate. Return pan to the heat, cleaning with paper towel if oil has gone too dark, and add remaining oil. Add garlic, tomato paste, orzo and tomatoes and cook, stirring frequently, for 2 minutes or until orzo is coated and slightly toasted.

Add 2 cups (500 ml) water and crumble over feta. Bring mixture to a simmer then add lamb racks to the centre of the pan and scatter around zucchini slices. Drizzle with oil and season with cracked pepper. Transfer to the oven and roast for 20–25 minutes or until most of the liquid has been absorbed by the orzo and lamb is medium-rare.

 Cover with foil, to rest for at least 10 minutes. Carve lamb, scatter with basil and serve in the pan for guests to help themselves.

Vietnamese-Inspired Shredded Lamb Noodle Soup

Serves 4–6

Prep 20 mins

Cooking 12 hours in a slow cooker

There’s something about a bone broth that screams winter, and this version takes it one step further by including all the aromatics of a Vietnamese pho. You could slow cook any meat in here, and make sure to season well with fish sauce and lime juice for the sweet, salty, sour kick this broth begs for.

450 g Merino knuckle

1,300 g Merino short ribs

60 g ginger, sliced

2 long red chillies, halved

1 large garlic bulb, halved crossways

1 small brown onion, halved

1 cinnamon quill

1 tbsp coriander seeds

3 star anise

1 tsp peppercorns

¼ cup hoisin sauce plus 2 tbsp extra

1 tbsp oyster sauce

1 L (4 cups) beef stock

2 tbsp fish sauce

juice of 1 lime, plus extra wedges to serve

200 g dried Vermicelli rice noodles

¼ cup crispy fried onions, plus extra to serve

mixed herbs, sliced red chilli, bean sprouts and sliced red onion to serve

Place lamb cuts, ginger, chillies, garlic, onion, cinnamon quill, coriander seeds, star anise, peppercorns, hoisin and oyster sauce in the bowl of a slow cooker. Cover with water to reach the max capacity. Turn to low and cook overnight or for at least 12 hours.

The next day, use a ladle to skim the top of the pot and remove the fat. Drain through a fine sieve lined with 2 pieces of paper towel, into a large saucepan. Reserve the meat and chillies (if you like it hot) and discard the remaining broth aromatics. Add beef stock and fish sauce to liquid and bring to the boil. Stir through lime juice and season to taste with salt and pepper. Cook for 4–5 minutes. Prepare noodles as per packet instructions and divide between bowls.

Meanwhile cut the lamb ribs into ribbettes and shred the meat from the oyster cut. Stir through crispy onions, extra hoisin, reserved chillies and season with salt and pepper. Divide between bowls.

Top bowls with a handful of herbs, chilli, sprouts, red onion and extra crispy onions. Ladle over the broth and serve with extra lime wedges alongside.

Masala and Cashew Lamb Shank Curry

Serves 4

Prep 10 mins

Cooking 4 hours

Curry in winter is what I’m all about. This version is mild, so trust me with the chilli! The soaked and blended cashews create this thick beautiful gravy that blankets the meat like a Merino coat. You can’t go wrong!

1 cup raw cashews

2 whole dried Kashmiri or long red chillies

2 stems curry leaves

50 g ghee (can sub with 50 g butter and 1 tbsp vegetable oil to prevent the butter from burning)

4 Merino shanks (approx. 1.5 kg)

3 tsp garam masala

1 tsp each ground turmeric, cumin, coriander and Kashmiri chilli powder (found at Indian grocers)

¼ tsp ground cardamom

¼ cup (60 g) tomato paste

¼ cup (60 ml) full fat yoghurt

1 tbsp coriander seeds

2 tsp fennel seeds

2 brown onions, thinly sliced

6 garlic cloves, chopped

3 cm (15 g) ginger, finely chopped

1 L (4 cups) chicken stock

juice of 1 lemon

naan bread, steamed rice and coriander sprigs to serve

Flavoured Finishing Oil

¼ cup (60 ml) melted coconut oil

2 tsp yellow mustard seeds

2 stems curry leaves

¼ cup cashews

¼ tsp Kashmiri chilli powder

Soak cashews, chillies and curry leaves overnight in 2 cups water.

The next day, heat ghee in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add lamb shanks and cook, turning frequently, for 5 minutes or until browned all over. Transfer to the bowl of a slow cooker and add garam masala, turmeric, cumin, coriander, chilli powder, cardamom, tomato paste and yoghurt and stir to coat. Return pan to heat, add coriander and fennel seeds and cook for 30 seconds or until aromatic. Add onion and cook for 6–8 minutes or until softened and browned. Stir through garlic and ginger and cook for 2–3 minutes or until softened slightly and aromatic. Transfer mixture to a blender along with drained cashew mixture and 1 cup of the stock and whiz until smooth, adding more stock as you go to get the blades moving.

Transfer to a slow cooker along with remaining stock and stir to combine. Cook on low for 8 hours, or on high for 4 hours, or until lamb is tender and cooked through. Stir through lemon juice and season to taste. Transfer to a serving dish.

For the flavoured finishing oil, place oil and mustard seeds in a small frypan over medium heat and cook until mustard seeds begin to pop. Carefully add curry leaves and cashews and cook for a further 2 minutes or until curry leaves are crisp and cashews are golden. Remove from heat and stir through chilli powder to colour.

Finish curry with oil and a dollop of yoghurt and serve extra alongside for adding, along with naan, rice and coriander leaves.