Spiced Lamb with Rhubarb & California Prunes soaked in Ginger Tea

Prune It is a healthy eating campaign designed to educate consumers to understand the role that California Prunes can play in helping to help reduce the fat and sugar content across a wide range of recipes.  When blended into a puree, prunes offer a useful fat replacer in cooking by adding fat-like (but fat-free) characteristics that also work to enhance the flavours in both sweet and savoury dishes.

In addition, the naturally occurring sugars present in California Prunes can also be used to provide a natural replacement for some of the processed sugars that traditionally feature in sweet recipes.  And because of their high fibre content and ability to add bulk to dishes, California Prunes also have a role to play in reducing portion size without compromising on filling power or taste.

Makes: 4-6Prep Time: 50 minutesCook Time: 3 hours
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INGREDIENTS

  •  
  • 1kg shoulder of lamb
  • 2-3 cloves of garlic, chopped
  • 1 handful fresh rosemary & thyme, chopped
  • 3-4 tsp harissa paste
  • 2 sticks rhubarb
  • 100ml ginger tea
  • 15 California Prunes
  • 100ml California Prune Juice
  • 1 red chilli
  • 1 handful coriander
  • 1 handful mint
  • 1 bunch watercress
  • 1 pomegranate
  • 1 lime
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 250g thick Greek yoghurt
  • 1/2 tsp salt

DIRECTIONS

  1. Mix together the fresh herbs, chopped garlic and harissa paste, then spread it over the shoulder of lamb.
  2. Place the meat into a roasting tray, add a pint of water and roast in the oven for 20 minutes at 220°C, then turn down to 160°C, cover with foil and cook for 3 hours or until tender.
  3. Chop the rhubarb and California Prunes and place in a saucepan with the California Prune juice and ginger tea, cook until the rhubarb is just tender and the liquid has reduced.
  4. Add in as much red chilli and chopped coriander as you like to suit your tastes (this chutney will keep in the fridge for a couple of weeks in a clean jam jar).
  5. Mix the yogurt and salt together and spoon into a sieve sat inside a bowl, water will drain from the yogurt to create a thicker richer texture, perfect to serve with the lamb.
  6. Squeeze the lime juice into the bottom of a mixing bowl, add in the olive oil and mix together to create a dressing. Add in the mint and watercress leaves, followed by the pomegranate seeds and carefully mix together.
  7. To serve, place a spoon of the yoghurt mixture onto the centre of a plate, add a couple of slices of the slow cooked lamb, top with the California Prune and rhubarb chutney. Finish with the dressed herb salad.

AUTHOR

Peter Sidwell

Peter Sidwell

California Prune Board Ambassador Peter Sidwell, is a chef, baker, TV presenter, author, and innovator of all things food related. Peter has been a chef all his working life and over the years has developed a simple, fresh and innovative way of cooking which focuses on the importance of fine ingredients and technical know-how to ensure the best results. Peter has travelled the world cooking, talking and demonstrating his approach and explaining how and why it works so well for all manner of food offerings. Peter works both with chefs, consumers, food producers and retailers to innovate, create process or refine procurement. Working from his new innovation centre in England's beautiful Lake District, Peter and his team create exciting, attractive and mouth-watering new recipes with digital content, showcasing the delicious flavour and versatility of California Prunes.