Cardamom Lamb Hotpot Recipes

Steps:

• Boil the potatoes in a saucepan of boiling water for 15 mins until par-boiled, then drain and leave to steam dry and cool.
• Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Heat the oil in a large frying pan and fry the onion for 10 mins or until starting to soften. Add the carrot and cook for 5 mins until tender. Tip the carrot and onion mixture into a large 2-litre ovenproof dish. Put the pan back over high heat. Fry the lamb meatballs, turning, until golden on the outside. Put the meatballs into the ovenproof dish. Pour over the gravy and tuck in the bay leaves and thyme sprigs.
• Thinly slice the cooled potatoes and arrange over the top of the meatballs. Brush the potato with 1-2 tsp oil and add a good grinding of black pepper. Bake in the oven for 20-25 mins until the potatoes are tender and starting to become crisp at the edges, and the gravy is bubbling.

Steps:

• Whisk together garlic, cumin, cardamom, lime juice, salt, pepper, and 2 teaspoons oil and transfer to a sealable plastic bag just large enough to hold lamb. Add lamb and seal bag, forcing out excess air, then massage lamb until evenly coated. Marinate at room temperature, turning bag occasionally, 15 minutes.
• Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking, then cook half of lamb about 3 minutes each side for medium-rare. Transfer cooked lamb to a platter. Wipe out skillet, then heat remaining tablespoon oil and cook remaining lamb in same manner. Transfer to platter and let stand 5 minutes.

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 425º. Remove as much of the surface fat as is practical from the lamb. Mix together the yogurt, mint, orange zest, cardamom, salt and pepper; rub the meat all over with the yogurt mixture. If you have time, let the lamb sit for an hour or more (refrigerate if it will be much longer).
• Put the lamb on a rack in a roasting pan. (You might line the pan first with aluminum foil to make cleanup easier.) Roast for 30 minutes, then check; if the lamb threatens to burn, turn the heat down to 350º; otherwise leave it at 425º.
• After about 1 hour (total) of roasting, check the internal temperature of the lamb with an instant-read thermometer. Continue to check every 10 minutes; when it reaches 130 for medium rare (125 for very rare) in its thickest part (check it in several places), it's done. Total cooking time will be less than 1 1/2 hours. Let it rest for a few minutes before carving. Serve garnished with more chopped mint.