Lamb-tatouille
When it comes to Christmas dinner, most people will think of roast meat or glazed ham as the star of the show. Are you in search for a healthier fail-proof rich dish in the Christmas dinner table? This Lambtatouille (Lamb x Ratatouille) is a perfect dish:
It’s a people pleaser: serves well to both meat and veggie lovers
It can be made on the day in advance, so you won’t need to panic about not having enough time to cook
It goes well with a glass of red wine
You don’t run in the risk of over-cooking or under-cooking like a roast
You can use the long simmering time to do other Christmas preparation or just to chill
A lot of heart healthy ingredients to ease the pressure from all other holiday foods
Lambtatouille
Serves: 8-12
Time: 1hr 30minutes
Skill required: chopping, searing, simmering
Equipment: chopping board, knife, few plates, (pan), deep pot, cooking spatula
Ingredient list
1-2 tbsp olive oil
2-3 medium (~300g) zucchini (thickly sliced)
1 large (~150g) eggplant (thickly sliced)
800-1000g lean lamb (chunks)
1 onion (sliced)
2 carrot (chunks)
3 cloves of garlic
3 sprigs of thyme
2 bay leaves
200 mL red wine
2 tbsp tomato paste
1 tsp reduced salt stock powder
400-600g crushed tomato
Methods
Heat up a pan on medium heat, add 1-2tbsp oil, sear zucchini and eggplants till both sides are golden, then set aside.
In the same pan, sear the lamb until all sides are golden, then set aside.
In the same pan, add onion, carrot, garlic, thyme and bay leaves, sear for ~3-5 minutes. Add in red wine and let it cook until the alcohol has evaporated.
Transfer onion and carrot base and seared lamb into a deep pot. Add tomato paste, stock powder, crushed tomato and enough water to cover. Turn on the heat, bring it to boil then let it simmer for 1 hour with lid on.
After 1 hour, mix in seared zucchini and eggplants and continue to simmer with lid off for 15 minutes. Taste before seasoning with salt and pepper then ready to serve.
Dietitian’s Tips
Lean lamb cuts: trimmed leg, shoulder, shank roast, stew cuts.
To reduce sodium/salt intake: taste and season accordingly before serving.
Make it in advance: skip step 1, follow the recipe up to step 4, let it cool and store it in the fridge for up to 3 days. On the day of serving, go back to step 1, heat up the stew and finish step 5.