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Moroccan lamb skewers with saffron rice

Rachel Ray from Just For Starters
For a taste of the Middle East try Rachel Ray's richly spiced lamb kebabs served with fragrant saffron rice

Moroccan lamb skewers with saffron rice

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C/gas 4. Mix together 1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon, the cumin and ginger and rub into the lamb. Season the lamb with salt and freshly ground pepper.

2. Heat the olive oil in a large, heavy-based frying pan. Fry the lamb for 2-3 minutes, stirring often, until it begins to brown.

3. Thread the lamb cubes onto wooden skewers, alternating the meat with the shallots, cherry tomatoes, prunes and apricots. Place the lamb skewers in a large roasting tin.

4. In the large frying pan used to fry the lamb, fry the onion and garlic until softened, around 5 minutes. Add the tinned tomatoes, cornflour, paprika, remaining cinnamon and lamb stock. Season with salt and freshly ground pepper. Bring to the boil.

5. Stir in the lemon zest and juice and the coriander. Pour the tomato sauce over the lamb skewers.

6. Cover the roasting tin with foil and bake the lamb skewers for 2 hours until tender.

7. Meanwhile, make the saffron rice.

8. Bring 900ml lightly salted water to the boil. Add the saffron, remove from heat, cover and set aside to infuse for 1 hour.

9. In a large, heavy-based saucepan heat the butter. Fry the onion for 10 minutes, until softened and browned. Add the garlic and basmati and cook, stirring, for 30 seconds.

10. Mix in the saffron water, bay leaf and cinnamon. Season with salt. Bring to the boil, reduce heat, cover tightly and simmer for 10-12 minutes until the rice is tender and the liquid has been absorbed. Pick out the cinnamon and bay leaf before serving.

11. While the rice is simmering, make the harissa sauce. Blend or pound together the chillies and garlic into a paste, using a food processor or a pestle and mortar. Mix in the olive oil making a paste. Stir in the vinegar and coriander. Season with salt and freshly ground pepper.

12. Serve the baked lamb skewers with saffron rice and harissa sauce.

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Serves: 4

Prep: 30 min
Cook: 2 hrs

Ingredients
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground ginger
1.5kg boneless shoulder of lamb, cubed
salt and fresh ground black pepper
2 tbsp Olive oil
12 Shallots, peeled
12 cherry tomatoes
12 ready-to-eat dried prunes
12 Dried apricots
1 onion, chopped
4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
450g canned tomatoes
1 tsp cornflour, mixed with 1 tsp cold water
1 tsp ground paprika
900ml lamb stock
grated zest and juice of 1 lemon
4 tbsp roughly chopped coriander

For the saffron rice:

1/2 tsp saffron strands
15g Butter
1 onion, thinly sliced
2 garlic clove, halved lengthways
450g Basmati rice
1 bay leaf
1 cinnamon stick, broken into two pieces
Salt

For the harissa:

6 fresh red chillies, seeded
4 garlic clove, peeled and chopped
2-3 tbsp Olive oil
2 tsp white wine vinegar
2 tsp ground coriander
salt and fresh ground black pepper