Flavoursome can also mean wholesome and nutritious. It’s no longer a one-way street. Sure, sometimes (like, um, every Sunday in my house), there’s nothing like a good roast chicken, especially if you use the bones to make a broth afterwards (ahem, readers note a recent column was devoted to such activities) but there are other ways of pulling out great flavours from the kinds of foods we often crave at this time of year – filling, warming, and dare I say it, meaty too at times.
And when it comes to meat, I have to say that lamb is one of my favourites and if you come across CaorAcla Lamb – Blackface Mountain lamb from Achill Island and the Curran Peninsula in Co Mayo – grab some ASAP. Maybe it's because its unique, unmistakable flavour lends itself so well to such different cuisines, from Asian to Middle Eastern and much in between, but its versatility means that I find myself returning to it again and again for everything from burgers and stews to roasts, kebabs and even salads.
Lamb can take big, robust flavours like garlic and rosemary but is also wonderful with subtle, warming aromatic spices like coriander, fennel and cumin. In this week’s first recipe, lamb shanks take centre stage in a rich stew with white beans, bacon, carrots, garlic and tomatoes. To start the whole flavour chain going, the shanks are first browned in the bacon fat, before being nestled in among the vegetables and the whole thing baked for up to 4 hours till the meat is falling off the bone. I was supposed to make it with dried beans that needed soaking, but I bought tinned ones instead and really, it made the whole thing less ambitious and therefore much more realistic.
The cannellini beans do a great job of soaking up much of the flavour and juices from the meat. They also mean you don’t really need a carb-based accompaniment such as spuds or rice. Instead, try this lovely ‘smash’ of smoky roasted aubergine, tomatoes and parsley, zingy with garlic and lemon. This would also be delicious smothered on toasted sourdough with a hunk of feta for a lighter supper on day two.
Aubergines are so regal I think, with their shiny purple robes and little green hats. It’s hard to believe just how much roasting can transform their bitter flesh into such melting deliciousness, but whatever about how this magic happens, I’m just grateful it does happen, and that the results are so darned tasty. Food cooked and styled by Domini Kemp and Gillian Fallon Photographs: Aidan Crawley
