Braised lamb meatballs with yoghurt and herbs. Serve with couscous or rice. Serves six.
750g minced lamb
2 medium onions, peeled and finely chopped
20g parsley, finely chopped
3 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
¾ tsp each ground allspice and cinnamon
70g dried sour cherries, roughly chopped
1 free-range egg
Salt and black pepper
100ml sunflower oil
700g banana shallots, peeled
200ml white wine
500ml chicken stock
2 bay leaves
2 sprigs fresh thyme
2 tsp sugar
150g dried figs
200g Greek yoghurt
3 tbsp mixed soft herbs (such as mint, coriander, dill or tarragon), torn roughly
In a large bowl, put the lamb, onions, parsley, garlic, allspice, cinnamon, sour cherries, egg, half a teaspoon of black pepper and a teaspoon of salt. Mix with your hands and roll into rounds about the size of a golf ball.
Heat one-third of the oil in a large, heavy-based pot for which you have a tight-fitting lid. Over medium heat, cook the meatballs a few at a time, turning them around for a few minutes on medium heat, until coloured all over. Remove from the pot and set aside. Repeat with the remaining meatballs.
Wipe the pot clean and add the remaining oil. Add the whole peeled shallots and cook them over a medium heat for 10 minutes, stirring frequently, until golden-brown all over. Pour in the wine, leave it to bubble for a minute or two, then add the stock, bay leaves, thyme, sugar and some salt and pepper.
Arrange the figs and browned meatballs around and about the shallots; the meatballs need to be almost submerged in liquid. Bring to a boil, cover the pot with a lid, reduce the heat to minimum and simmer for 30 minutes. Remove the lid and simmer for another hour, until the sauce has reduced and intensified in flavour. Taste and season as needed.
Transfer the contents of the pan to a large, deep serving dish. Whisk the yoghurt, pour this over the top, sprinkle with herbs and serve.