Lamb & caramelised date stew with herby bulgur

Method

• step 1

  Halve the dates and remove the stones. Heat 2 tbsp oil in a large flameproof casserole dish and cook the dates for 30 seconds on each side until deeply golden and caramelised. Remove from the dish and set aside.

• step 2

  Chop the lamb into bite-sized cubes and season with salt. If the dish is dry, add a little more oil and reheat. Once hot, cook the lamb for 5-7 mins, browning on all sides until deeply golden and developing a good crust (you’ll need to do this in batches so you don’t overcrowd the dish). As the lamb is browned, remove to a bowl using tongs or a slotted spoon. Between batches, pour in 50ml water and scrape up the golden bits from the bottom, then tip this liquid into a bowl or cup and set aside for later.

• step 3

  Roughly chop the onions, slice the carrots on the diagonal and thinly slice the celery. Add the veg to the dish, scraping up any golden bits on the bottom. Season with a little salt, then stir to coat. Cook over a medium-low heat for 10-15 mins until all the veg is well softened. Heat the oven to 170C/150C fan/gas 3.

• step 4

  Grate in the garlic, then add the cardamom pods, cumin, coriander, cinnamon stick and bay leaf. Stir in the tomato purée. Cook over a medium heat for 3-4 mins, stirring often until the purée has darkened to a brick red colour and the spices are very aromatic. Scatter in the flour and stir to coat.

• step 5

  Slowly pour in the stock and reserved browning liquid, stirring to combine. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer. Return the lamb and dates to the dish. Scrunch up a piece of baking parchment that’s roughly the diameter of the dish. Rinse it under the tap, squeeze out the excess water, then lay it on the top of the stew. Cover with the lid, transfer to the oven and cook for 1 hr 45 mins.

• step 6

  Carefully remove the stew from the oven. Drain the chickpeas and stir them into the stew along with the vinegar, then return the dish to the oven, uncovered, for 15 mins. When ready, the lamb and veg should be very tender and the sauce thickened and reduced. Prepare the bulgur following pack instructions. Roughly chop the herbs and zest and juice the lemon, and stir all this through the cooked bulgur.

• step 7

  Taste the stew and add a little salt, if needed. Spoon the stew over the herby bulgur, then scatter over pomegranate seeds, mint leaves and pickled onions.