Add the vermouth and, once it’s bubbling, stir in the tomatoes, lemon peel, half a teaspoon of salt and plenty of pepper. In the same pan, fry the fennel wedges for four minutes, turning them a few times, until browned all over. Transfer to a plate with a slotted spoon, then repeat with the remaining meatballs.

Once hot, fry the half the meatballs for five minutes, turning regularly, until browned all over. On a medium-high flame, heat the oil in a large saute pan for which you have a lid. Mix to combine, then shape into about 30 golf-ball-sized balls. Put the mince in a large bowl with the breadcrumbs, onion, parsley, dill, anchovies, fennel seeds, currants, half a teaspoon of salt and a generous grind of black pepper. Cut each bulb in half lengthways, then cut into 2cm-wide wedges. Trim the fennel, discarding the stalks but reserving the fronds to garnish. A bottle goes a long way, so keep one in the cupboard to elevate sauces and stews.Ĥ small fennel bulbs (about 900g in total)ģ0g fresh white breadcrumbs, from about 1 slice of breadĥ anchovy fillets, drained and finely choppedġ tbsp fennel seeds, lightly toasted and crushedġ lemon – peel shaved into long strips, then cut into wedges, to serve

Vermouth is an unsung ingredient that goes just that bit further than white wine (though the latter does make a decent substitute here), because it adds sweet, sharp and floral notes all at the same time. View image in fullscreen Yotam Ottolenghi’s lamb meatballs with braised fennel. Transfer to a platter, drizzle over the vinegar and serve straight away. Return all the meat to the wok and, over a high heat, quickly toss with the aubergines, the remaining soy and rice wine, the chillies, spring onions, coriander and toasted cumin seeds, for only a few seconds, to warm through. Repeat with the rest of the lamb in two more batches, then drain and discard half of the fat. Stir-fry for another two minutes, until crisp and golden brown all over, then lift out of the wok with a slotted spoon, leaving the fat in the pan. Add a third of the lamb, separating the pieces with a spoon, so they don’t clump together, then leave to sear undisturbed for two minutes. Return the pan to a high heat and, once it’s smoking, add the rest of the oil and swirl around. Put the cumin seeds in the hot pan and, taking care not to burn them, dry fry for around 30 seconds, until fragrant, then tip into a saucer. Remove the aubergine from the wok, wipe the pan clean, then return it to the heat. Heat half the oil in a large wok or saute pan on a high flame, then fry the aubergine, stirring occasionally, for five minutes, until it’s beginning to brown.Īdd the ginger and one tablespoon of soy, and fry for three minutes more, stirring very often, until the aubergine is a dark golden brown.

Toss the aubergine with the remaining cumin and half a teaspoon of salt. Pat the lamb dry, then put it in a bowl with the cornflour, a tablespoon of ground cumin, half the dark soy sauce, half the Shaoxing rice wine and the sugar, toss to coat and leave to marinate for at least 30 minutes and up to an hour. According to my Taiwanese friend Gary Chang, there’s only one heat when stir-frying, and that’s “very hot”, so keep the flame high to achieve a good sear, and use a wok if you have one, or a high-sided saute pan if you don’t.ħ00g boneless lamb shoulder, skin, silverskin and gristle removed, then cut into 6cm x 5mm stripsĢcm piece fresh ginger, peeled and cut into thin stripsģ red chillies, finely sliced on an angle (deseeded, if you prefer less heat)ģ spring onions, finely sliced on an angleġ5g coriander, leaves and stalks separated Lamb and cumin is a pairing you’d normally associate with Middle Eastern cooking, but it is also a staple in the north-west of China, where there is a large Muslim community.

Braised lamb shoulder chops