F… it’s cold.
Central Otago in Winter. It’s poltergeist cold. 10am and zero degrees at the time of writing this. There’s a heavy focus on the restorative warmth that a hearty dish of something delicious can offer. Especially after you’ve been outside all day working in the vines when the mercury sits this low.
We’ve got some incredible beef and lamb farmers in our neighbourhood and sometimes all you hanker for is a bowl of locally grown lamb stew to wrap your hands around and a damn good Pinot to go with it.
With that in mind, here’s one of our picks for a dish that not only goes bloody well with our Pinot Noir but satiates the stomach and the soul, much like a Mother’s loving hug.
Lamb & Chickpea Stew
(from the Beef and Lamb NZ recipe page)
Prep Time: 30 mins | Cooking Time: 2 hours | Feeds 4
Ingredients:
800g lamb shoulder chops (or thereabouts)
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon each ground coriander, ground ginger, ground fennel seed, paprika, ground turmeric
pinch ground cinnamon
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion, cut into 8 wedges
2 large carrots, cut into even-sized pieces
2 potatoes, cut into even-sized pieces
4 dates, pitted and chopped
400g can chopped tomatoes in juice
1½ cups vegetable stock or other light flavoured stock
1 cup canned chickpeas, drained
Method:
Preheat the oven to 160°C and pour yourself a glass of CERES Pinot Noir.
Mix the spices together in a bowl, then sprinkle evenly over the lamb shoulder chops.
Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the chops and brown on both sides. Transfer to a large casserole dish. Wipe out the pan with kitchen paper.
Add the remaining oil, the onion wedges, carrots, potatoes and dates with any remaining spices into the pan and cook for 2-3 minutes, tossing them with a wooden spoon.
Pour the tomatoes and stock into the hot frying pan and bring up to a simmer, then spoon into the casserole dish with the chops and season.
Place in the oven and cook for 1½ hours. Remove from the oven and add the chickpeas. Return to the oven for a further ½ hour.
Serve alongside steamed broccoli or your favourite greens, and a glass of CERES Pinot Noir…enjoy the all the warming goodness.