TASTE's best lamb recipes

Christmas recipes

Overnight roasted lamb shoulder

10–12 hours

Cooking with

Samp-and-beans lamb curry

1½ hours, plus cooking time for samp and beans

Lamb recipes

Sosatie spiced lamb sausage with creamy samp

30 minutes

Italian recipes

Frikkadels with mash and smoor

1 hour 15 minutes

Frikkadels with mash and smoor

Serves 6

Difficulty Medium

Prep Time 40 minutes

Cooking Time 1 hour 15 minutes

Ingredients

For the buttery mash:

2 kg Woolworths Everyday large potatoes
salt, to taste
1 cup cream
125 g butter

For the tomato smoor:

4 T canola oil
2 large onions, halved and thinly sliced
4 bay leaves
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
4 cloves garlic, finely grated
2 t smoked chilli flakes
1 T tomato paste
1 x 400 g can diced tomatoes
2 t sugar
1⁄2 cup water
3 T vinegar (brown or white)

For the frikkadels:

2 slices white sandwich bread
1⁄2 cup milk
1 kg Woolworths free-range lamb mince
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1 onion, finely grated
1 T garlic powder
1 T Woolworths meat-and-chops seasoning
2 T dried parsley
1 T paprika
1 free-range egg, beaten
4 T canola oil, plus extra if necessary

Method

1. Peel the potatoes and cut into evenly sized chunks. Place in a saucepan with salt and enough water to cover, then place over a medium heat. Cook until tender and almost falling apart.

2. While the potatoes are cooking, place the cream and butter in a small saucepan over a medium heat and simmer until the cream has slightly reduced, about 10 minutes, stirring often to prevent the cream from burning.

3. Once the potatoes are cooked, drain, then return them to the pan, off the heat, and steam for 5 minutes.

4. Pass the cooked potatoes through a kitchen sieve in batches using a silicone spatula. This will result in very smooth mash, but the potatoes must be hot while you do this.

5. Return the mash to the pan and add half the cream-and butter-mixture. Mix through, then add the remaining mixture and mix until smooth. Place a sheet of clingwrap directly onto the surface of the mash and keep warm.

6. To make the smoor, heat the oil in a saucepan over a medium heat. Add the onions, bay leaves and salt and cook until the onions are soft and golden. Add the garlic and chilli flakes and cook for 1 minute, then add the tomato paste, diced tomatoes, sugar and water.

7. Reduce the heat slightly and cook until most of the water has evaporated. Stir through the vinegar and cook for 1 minute, then remove from the heat.

8. To make the frikkadels, soak the bread in the milk until all the milk is absorbed. Squeeze out the milk and place the bread in a large bowl. Break up the bread, then add the mince, seasoning, onion, garlic powder, meat seasoning, parsley, paprika and egg. Mix well for about 3 minutes, then set aside for 5 minutes.

9. Heat some oil in a pan over a medium heat. Shape the mince mixture into evenly sized balls and fry in batches for 3 minutes a side, or until cooked through and browned. Repeat with the remaining mixture. To serve, spoon the smoor over the mash and top with the frikkadels.

Find more mince recipes here

Photographs: Jan Ras
Production: Abigail Donnelly
Food Assistant: Leila-Ann Mokotedi

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Frikkadels with mash and smoor

Frikkadels with mash and smoor

Ingredients

Method