lamb and peanut stew

Serves 6

To cook lamb:

• 520g diced lamb shoulder
• 70 ml vegetable oil
• 2-3 bay leaves 
• 1 chopped onion
• 1 tbsp bouillon powder 
• 1 tsp dried rosemary 
• Water (just enough to cover lamb)
• 5 carrots

Stew base:

• 2 400g tins of plum tomatoes 
• 8 cloves garlic (peeled)
• 2 long sweet red peppers (de-seeded and cut into chunks)
• 1 scotch bonnet (de-seeded)
• 1 onion (cut into quarters)
• Bottom part (white to pale green) of 1 leek (cut into chunks)
• 1 inch piece of ginger (peeled)

To cook stew:

• 150 ml red palm oil
• 1 chopped onion
• 7 dried lime leaves
• 5 dried curry leaves
• 3 dried lemongrass stalks
• 1 tsp white pepper
• 2 tsp dried rosemary 
• 1 tsp brown sugar
• 1 tsp bouillon powder
• 1 tsp ground iru 
• 1 tsp paprika
• 4 tbsp peanut butter

1. In a dutch oven heat vegetable oil on medium-high heat until hot enough for a piece of onion to sizzle immediately 
2. Fry 1 chopped onion until fragrant. Add 1 tbsp bouillon powder, 1 tsp dried rosemary and bay leaves.
3. Add the lamb to sear for a few minutes. Add just enough water to cover the lamb.
4. Lower heat to low-medium and leave to cook for 30 minutes (lid on). During this time:
5. Peel and chop carrots into coins and set aside. Use a blender to blitz the stew base ingredients until smooth.
6. In a separate large pot, heat red palm oil on medium-high heat until hot enough for a piece of onion to sizzle immediately.
7. Add 1 chopped onion, 8 lime leaves, 5 curry leaves and 3 lemongrass stalks. Fry together until the onion begins to brown and crisp up.
8. Add blended stew base and mix. Add white pepper, rosemary, brown sugar, peanut butter, paprika, ground iru and 1 tsp bouillon powder and stir well. Leave on medium-high heat (without a lid). Then:
9. Return to the lamb, add the carrot coins and leave them to cook with the lamb on low-medium heat, with the lid on.
10. Lower the stew to low-medium heat. Leave both the lamb and carrots, and the stew, to cook for another 20-25 minutes. 
11. Once the lamb is tender and the carrots are cooked (do not wait for the carrots to become soft/mushy), add the lamb, carrots and their cooking liquid into the stew and mix well. 
12. Leave the stew to simmer for 5-10 minutes, you should see streaks of separating oil. 
13. Enjoy!

• See reels on toyotastes (IG) for visual aids.
• Look for 100% peanut butter! I use crunchy for texture but smooth is fine.
• The key to an absolutely delicious stew is a little patience, stick to the timings and let the stew really cook out.
• If your tinned tomatoes are quite acidic, add a pinch of baking soda to help neutralise - not too much or you’ll get a soapy taste. 
• Easily made plant-based: Use vegetable bouillon powder, skip out the lamb part, and go straight to the carrots. You could add small chunks of sweet potato, squash, suede, pumpkin. A little later on you could add other vegetables that take less time to cook, like finely shredded cabbage, mushrooms or bell peppers.
• This recipe is not fiery in terms of spice level, but you can use 1/2 a scotch bonnet for a milder version, or conversely 1 1/2 or 2 scotch bonnets if you're a spice fiend!