When my sons were growing up and I worked in an office, I would regularly cook up a big vat of minced lamb for their weekday suppers, turning it into dishes so different that they didn’t realise they were eating mince every night: shepherd’s pie on Monday; spag bol on Tuesday; tortillas with salad, guacamole and grated cheese for a hands-on midweek treat; and then moussaka or a gratin covered with sliced potatoes at the end of the week.

I still make these favourites, but these days I draw inspiration for minced lamb suppers from countries with an Arab-based cuisine rather than from the Continent. Middle East burgers, for example, flavoured with fresh coriander and a chunky cucumber yoghurt salad, always go down well. When time is short and supper is on the hoof, they can be stuffed into warm pitta bread.

Shepherd’s pie might get an Arabian twist with pine kernels, and meatballs will be simmered in a gravy flavoured with ras al hanout — a heady Moroccan spice mix that makes food smell as if you’ve just wandered into the souk, giving it an unmistakable taste of the Maghreb. I particularly like the version made by Seasoned Pioneers in an instantly recognisable resealable silver sachet. Peas and mint might sound an odd addition to this dish but they lend a fresh, lively contrast of flavour and colour. It’s good with warmed naan for scooping and mopping, but goes further served over couscous. For four generous portions you will need 200g of couscous stirred with 400ml of boiling water, a tablespoon each of lemon juice and olive oil and a pinch of saffron. Cover, leave for 15 minutes and fork up before serving hot, warm or cold.

All these dishes are quick and simple and bring a bit of excitement to after-work suppers, particularly if there is a complementary finale such as medjool figs or keskul, an elegant Turkish almond pudding.

Prep: 20 mins
Cook: 15 mins

50g pine kernels
3tbsp olive oil
1 red onion
50g bunch coriander
500g organic minced lamb
1 large lemon

For the salad:
1 garlic clove
1tbsp lemon juice
3tbsp olive oil
1 medium cucumber
500g pot of Greek-style yoghurt

METHOD Heat 1/2tbsp olive oil in a frying pan over a medium heat. When hot, stir fry the pine kernels for a couple of minutes until pale golden. Tip on to a double fold of kitchen paper to drain. Peel, halve and grate the onion. Chop the coriander, stalks and all, very finely. Set aside 1tbsp chopped coriander for the salad. Place meat, onion, pine kernels and coriander in a mixing bowl. Add 1tbsp olive oil. Season generously with salt and pepper then use your hands to mix and mulch the ingredients, forming it into a ball. Rinse your hands and, with wet fingers, divide the ball into four equal pieces. Divide each quarter into four pieces and roll and pat them into small patties-cum-burgers. Set aside on a plate as you go. Cover the patties with clingfilm and store in the fridge for at least 10 minutes to chill and firm up.

The patties and meatballs in the following recipe, incidentally, can be chilled for up to 24 hours and will freeze perfectly. Fry the burgers in hot oil for 3-4 minutes each side without moving them. Serve with a lemon wedge and the salad, plus couscous if liked. To make the salad, peel and chop the garlic, sprinkle with a generous pinch of salt and work to a juicy paste with the flat of a knife. Transfer to a bowl that can accommodate the yoghurt. Add the lemon juice and olive oil. Beat in the yoghurt with a wooden spoon. Peel cucumber, split in half lengthways, scrape out the seeds with a teaspoon and slice into chunks. Stir cucumber and reserved coriander into the yoghurt.





Moroccan meatballs with peas





Serves 4
Prep: 30 mins
Cook: 35 mins

2 medium onions
1tbsp olive oil
25g butter
1 chicken stock cube
1tbsp ras al hanout
1tbsp honey
3tbsp sultanas
1 lemon
25g fresh mint
500g organic minced lamb
2tsp ground cumin
1 egg yolk
400g frozen petits pois

METHOD Peel and halve the onions. Finely slice 3 halves. Heat the oil and butter in a deep frying pan or large, shallow saucepan over a high heat. Toss the sliced onions for several minutes, cooking until glossy, limp and patched with brown. Dissolve the stock cube in 600ml boiling water. Stir the ras al hanout into the onions, then add the stock, honey and sultanas. Bring to the boil, reduce the heat to simmer, cover the pan and cook for 15 minutes. Remove the lid and cook for a few more minutes until the onions are soft, the sultanas plump and the liquid slightly reduced to a thick gravy. Season with salt and lemon juice.

Meanwhile, grate the reserved onion. Chop the mint leaves. Place the lamb in a mixing bowl. Add the grated onion, half the mint, cumin, salt and pepper, and the egg yolk. Mix well, mulching together with your hands, forming the mixture into a ball. Rinse your hands, shake dry, then pinch off enough meat mixture to roll between your hands and make walnut-sized balls. My mixture made 50. Drop the meatballs into the simmering onion gravy and adjust the heat so that the gravy bubbles steadily over the balls. Shake the pan occasionally so that they cook evenly, allowing 10-15 minutes. Add the peas and mint and cook for a further five minutes until the peas are tender. Adjust the seasoning with salt, pepper and a squeeze of lemon.

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