A twist of pomelo and lime add an Asian touch to this lamb dish. By Liane Arno
Our great mate Hitch loves nothing more than collecting memorabilia as well as a collection of animals at his Heritage Farm on Fuller Road. He got some sheep in, even salvaged a sheep shearing rig from the Jones Farm in Almurta, only to find that getting the sheep shorn was easier said than done. He got rid of those sheep and replaced them with sheep that shed their wool naturally. They looked dreadful – like a Rastafarian that is losing his dreadlocks – and so Hitch decided to get rid of them as well.
Hence we have half a sheep in our freezer.
Our great mate Hitch loves nothing more than collecting memorabilia as well as a collection of animals at his Heritage Farm on Fuller Road. He got some sheep in, even salvaged a sheep shearing rig from the Jones Farm in Almurta, only to find that getting the sheep shorn was easier said than done. He got rid of those sheep and replaced them with sheep that shed their wool naturally. They looked dreadful – like a Rastafarian that is losing his dreadlocks – and so Hitch decided to get rid of them as well.
Hence we have half a sheep in our freezer.
Now I love lamb – but what to do with the lamp flaps? I tested every butchery skill that I have to try and extricate the meat and then prise the membrane off it. With the first lamp flap I tried a lamb roll. It turned out tasty enough but tough. Never one to be deterred I turned to the crockpot to soften up the meat on the second lamb flap. I still got rid of the fat and the membrane but threw in everything else.
I know the tradition is lamb and rosemary – but frankly I don’t like the flavour of rosemary. But I do love Asian flavours. Particularly at this time of year when our limes are ripe. There is something about limes that makes lemons a poor cousin.
So I chucked the meat into the crockpot in a bath of some fried garlic and chillis and the same quantity of lime juice and chicken stock on high for five hours until the meat was really tender.
We had one meal combining the dish with rice – but I wanted to try a bit of an experiment and make a warm salad with it.
Lamb as you know can be a bit overpowering so in order to cut that taste I thought to sprinkle some pomelo on top. If you haven’t come across pomelo, you are missing out. The pomelo is the ancestor of the grapefruit – and bigger. See below for the comparison to a lime.
I know the tradition is lamb and rosemary – but frankly I don’t like the flavour of rosemary. But I do love Asian flavours. Particularly at this time of year when our limes are ripe. There is something about limes that makes lemons a poor cousin.
So I chucked the meat into the crockpot in a bath of some fried garlic and chillis and the same quantity of lime juice and chicken stock on high for five hours until the meat was really tender.
We had one meal combining the dish with rice – but I wanted to try a bit of an experiment and make a warm salad with it.
Lamb as you know can be a bit overpowering so in order to cut that taste I thought to sprinkle some pomelo on top. If you haven’t come across pomelo, you are missing out. The pomelo is the ancestor of the grapefruit – and bigger. See below for the comparison to a lime.
It has taken us five years for our pomelo to fruit – and it is worth it. The pomelos are huge. When we worked in Cambodia it was a fruit that would be piled up in pyramids on the side of the road and left for some time (I think) to allow the fruit to sweeten and mature in its very thick rind. They would sell it often with a ‘twist’ of salt and chilli.
The rind is really thick as is the pith. If you try to eat a segment by itself without peeling the casing of the flesh you will end up spitting out the casing – it is that tough. So the trick is to peel off the casing and enjoy the delicious pearls of flavour.
So my little recipe
Combine
Salad leaves such as rocket and baby spinach
Some mild feta cheese for creaminess
Warmed pulled lamb after having been slow cooked in lime, chicken stock, garlic and chilli
Sprinkling of the flesh of pomelo or grapefruit
The rind is really thick as is the pith. If you try to eat a segment by itself without peeling the casing of the flesh you will end up spitting out the casing – it is that tough. So the trick is to peel off the casing and enjoy the delicious pearls of flavour.
So my little recipe
Combine
Salad leaves such as rocket and baby spinach
Some mild feta cheese for creaminess
Warmed pulled lamb after having been slow cooked in lime, chicken stock, garlic and chilli
Sprinkling of the flesh of pomelo or grapefruit