1 cauliflower (about 1.2kg),
outer leaves attached
1 tbsp olive oil
Coarsely chopped roasted
smoked almonds, to serve
FERMENTED CHILLI BUTTER
5 long red chillies, coarsely
chopped
1 garlic clove, coarsely
chopped
1 tsp sherry vinegar
120 gm softened cultured
butter
¾ tsp smoked paprika1 tbsp olive oil
1.2 kg boneless lamb shoulder,
cut into 3cm pieces
1 red onion, diced
1 garlic clove, sliced
4 cardamom pods, bruised
1 tsp fennel seeds, coarsely
ground
1 tsp coriander seeds,
coarsely ground
1 cinnamon quill, broken
in half
500 ml (2 cups) chicken stock
400 gm canned tomato polpa or
crushed tomatoes
CAULIFLOWER TOPPING
1 small cauliflower (about
1kg), florets coarsely
chopped
60 ml (1⁄4 cup) pouring cream,
warmed
40 gm butter
2 tbsp finely grated parmesan1 Heat oil in a cast-iron skillet
or frying pan over high heat.
Season lamb and cook in
batches, turning occasionally,
until browned (3-4 minutes).
Transfer to a casserole and set
aside. Reduce heat to medium,
add onion and garlic to skillet,
and cook, stirring, until softened
(4-5 minutes). Add spices, stirBraised lamb with cauliflower topping
SERVES 4-6 // PREP TIME 20 MINS // COOK 2 HRSA fresh take on shepherd’s pie that’s fragrant with coriander and
cinnamon and capped with a creamy yet light cauliflower crust.until fragrant (1 minute), deglaze
pan with 200ml water, scraping
base of pan, then transfer to
casserole with stock and polpa
and season to taste. Bring to
a simmer over medium-high
heat, then reduce heat to low
and simmer until lamb is tender
(11⁄4-11⁄2 hours). Remove lamb
from sauce, cool briefly, and
coarsely shred with two forks.
2 Reduce sauce over medium
heat, stirring occasionally, until
thickened (20-25 minutes).
Remove from heat and
return lamb to casserole.
3 For cauliflower topping, cook
cauliflower in a large saucepan
of boiling salted water until
tender (8-10 minutes). Drain, and
return to pan over medium heat
until water evaporates (1 minute).
Add cream and half the butter
and blend with a hand-held
blender until smooth. Season
to taste.
4 Preheat oven to 220°C.
Transfer lamb mixture to a
1.5-litre baking dish, spoon over
cauliflower topping, dot with
remaining butter, scatter with
parmesan and bake until golden
and bubbling (20-30 minutes).
Serve hot.➤Roasted cauliflower with
fermented chilli butter
SERVES 6 // PREP TIME 15 MINS // COOK 1 HR (PLUS FERMENTING)Roasting a cauliflower whole is always a winner. Serve it in the
middle of the table as part of a shared meal, or make it the main
event, rounding it out with salads and sides. Fermenting the chilli
for the chilli butter adds an extra dimension, but you can skip it
if you’re short on time. Start 2-3 days ahead to ferment the chilli.1 For fermented chilli butter,
toss chilli and 2 tsp salt in a
bowl. Pour 250ml water over
chilli, cover, and leave at room
temperature for 2-3 days to
ferment (until bubbles appear).
Drain chilli, combine with garlic
and vinegar, and blend with a
hand-held blender until smooth.
Transfer to a bowl, add butter
and paprika and stir to combine.
Cover, and refrigerate until
required.
2 Preheat oven to 220°C. Add
cauliflower to a lightly oiled
roasting pan, season to taste
with salt, drizzle with oil, then
roast until golden and tender
(45 minutes to 1 hour).
3 Dollop chilli butter to taste on
top of cauliflower to melt and
scatter with almonds to serve.108 GOURMET TRAVELLER