I love Ken Hom and we have a few of his books if I had to recommend one to buy it would be his Complete Chinese Cookery book. It has his best recipes and Paulie and I are enjoying working our way through the recipes. We do have some firm favourites though and this is one of them he calls it Beijing Lamb. If you fancy a change from a Lamb curry but you still enjoy flavour and melt in the mouth tender lamb meat, you must try this recipe. The only way I can describe it is it’s like having sticky ribs but more tender meat (and bigger chunks) but no bones or sinew. You need the rice to soak up the delicious smooth, sticky, sweet, sour and finger lickin good sauce, we had this with bok choy once and it doesn’t cut it. I have never come across this when eating chinese out and once you have tried it there will be no going back, Trust me!

Ingredients

• 450g boned shoulder of lamb, cut into 2 inch cubes
• thumb piece of fresh ginger peeled and sliced
• 1 tbsp groundnut oil
• 1 small onion, finely chopped

For the braising sauce

• 900ml chicken stock
• 50g brown sugar
• 3 tbsps dark soy sauce
• 3 tbsps Shaoxing rice wine or dry sherry
• 1 piece of Chinese cinnamon bark or 1 cinnamon stick
• 3 whole star anise
• 2 tbsps smooth peanut butter
• 2 tbsps hoisin sauce or kecep manis

Method

1. Make the braising sauce with the chicken stock, sugar, dark soy sauce, rice wine, cinnamon, peanut butter, hoisin (or kecep manis) sauce and star anise and set to one side.
2. Blanch the lamb by plunging it in boiling water for 5 minutes. Remove the meat and discard the water.
3. Slice the spring onions at a slight diagonal into 3 inch pieces
4. Heat a wok over a high heat until it is hot, then add the oil and when slightly smoking, add the pieces of lamb and stir fry until they are browned.
5. Add the spring onions, ginger and onion to the wok and continue to stir fry for a further 5 minutes.
6. Transfer this mixture to a large saucepan with a lid, or a flame-proof casserole.
7. Bring to the boil and skim off any fat that rises.
8. Turn down to the lowest setting you can and leave to braise for 1½ hours or until the lamb is very tender, skimming off any fat that rises to the surface.
9. Cook your rice according to packet and serve with the stew.