Easy Savoury Lamb Mince

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Serving a spoonful of lamb mince, with the casserole of the dish in the background.

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Savoury lamb mince makes a comforting supper for all the family. I've added a twist of Mediterranean spice for a touch of something new.

Servings:

Author: Helen Best-Shaw

Prep Time15

Cook Time30

Ingredients

1 onion - peeled and diced
2 cloves garlic - peeled and diced
1 stick celery - chopped
15 g lamb or beef dripping - or 1 tbsp oil
2 tsp mixed herbs - I like oregano and thyme
1 tsp cumin
½ tsp cinnamon
450 g minced lamb - about 12–15% fat
2 tbs flour - any sort
2 tbs tomato puree - or ketchup
425 ml stock - lamb, chicken or weak beef stock
250 g frozen mixed vegetables - your choice

Metric - USA Cups

Instructions

Start by preparing the vegetables. Peel and chop the onion and garlic. Trim the celery, cut into strips lengthwise and chop.
1 onion, 2 cloves garlic, 1 stick celery
Heat the dripping or oil in a shallow pan or skillet with a tightly fitting lid. Add the onion and celery and fry for a few minutes.
15 g lamb or beef dripping
Now add the garlic, herbs and spices, and cook for another minute or two until fragrant. The vegetables should be just starting to turn golden.
2 tsp mixed herbs, 1 tsp cumin, ½ tsp cinnamon
Add the mince. The best way to do this is in several stages, because if you add all the mince at once, it will steam rather than fry.
450 g minced lamb
Break the mince up, and keep stirring. Fry for about 10 minutes, adding the meat in stages until it is browned and there is no liquid left in the pan.
Add the flour and stir it in. Then cook for few more minutes, stirring all the time. Take care that nothing starts to stick to the bottom of the pan.
2 tbs flour
Add a splash of stock and stir it in. Once absorbed, add more. Adding the stock slowly is important to avoid lumps.
425 ml stock
Once all the stock has been absorbed, add the tomato puree and stir in.
2 tbs tomato puree
Turn the heat down as low as it will go. Put the lid on the pan and leave for 20 minutes. When the mince is cooked, it should be dark and glossy with a thick, rich gravy.
Add the frozen vegetables. Stir through and cook for another 5–8 minutes.
250 g frozen mixed vegetables

Notes

Storage

This savoury lamb mince will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for three days or in the freezer for three months.

To store your mince, pack it into pots as soon as it is cold and get it into the freezer or fridge as quickly as possible. I reuse plastic takeaway trays for this, as I find they stack neatly.

Reheat your mince in a pan on the stove top, or in the microwave until piping hot.

Alternative methods

Slow cooker method – Cook to step 4 and then transfer to the slow cooker. Cook on high for 4 hours. You might need a little less liquid. To compensate, you can leave the lid ajar for the last 30 minutes of cooking to allow the mince to thicken.

In the oven – Cook to step 4. Then transfer to the oven in a covered casserole dish for 40 minutes.

Hints and tips

Use dripping rather than oil. It produces a better and much more traditional result.

Brown the mince well before adding the flour. The lamb needs to be properly broken up with no liquid left in the pan. It is important to add the lamb in stages when you brown it.

For batch cooking / making ahead – cook to stage 5, pack into freezer safe boxes. Just add the vegetables once the mince has defrosted and you are ready to reheat.

Add more vegetables – it is really easy to add extra veg to this dish. Cauliflower and aubergine are particularly well suited to the spices.

Gluten free?

If you don't have gluten-free flour, leave it out. Instead, at the end of cooking, put two teaspoons of cornflour into a small bowl, add a little water and stir until thoroughly combined, to make a liquid about the consistency of cream. Stir this into the mince and cook for another minute. Repeat if necessary, to get the consistency you want.

• Please note that the nutrition information provided below is approximate and meant as a guideline only.

• Unless stated otherwise cup conversions have been made with an online tool. For accuracy please check with your favoured conversion tool. We recommend buying inexpensive digital kitchen scales.