Stranger Foods

Baked lamb, vegetables and rice

Serves 4 | Prep 25 mins | Cook 1 hr 30 mins

Source: European Peasant Cookery

Ingredients

Metric

Imperial

x0.5

1 kg lamb off the bone
2 large red onions
3-4 cloves garlic
1½ kg mixed vegetables, aubergines, courgettes, chard, carrots, peppers, green beans, pumpkin
150 ml olive oil
500 g tomatoes, tinned is fine
1 tsp salt
1 tsp powdered chilli
125 g risotto rice

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Trim and cube the meat into bite-sized pieces. Skin and slice the onions and garlic. Hull, scrape and slice or chunk the vegetables as appropriate. Scaled the tomatoes to loosen the skins then peel and chop.
Warm half of the olive oil in a frying pan. Put in the onions and garlic and fry them until they turn pale gold, then push them to one side and add the meat. Fry gently for a moment and then season with salt and chilli.
Transfer the meat and onion mixture with its oil to a wide shallow baking dish. Cover the meat with a layer of vegetables. Season again. Sprinkly in a layer of rice. Finish with a layer of the sliced tomatoes.
Pour in enough boiling water to submerge to a depth of one finger. Trickle with the rest of the oil.
Cover the dish and put it to bake in a moderate oven, 180°C/Gas 4 for .
Take off the lid for the final . The kitchen will fill with the enticing scent and the cooking liquid will be concentrated into a rich sauce.