Lamb and harissa stew by Ally McGrath of Osso Restaurant in Peebles

This tasty lamb dish is full of flavour; the aromatic, fragrant harissa gives it a little kick, 
but depending on how spicy you like your food, you can always adjust the heat with fresh chillies, or chilli flakes. 
Osso opened in Peebles in December 2007, with an ethos that remains unchanged to this day: exciting food, big flavours, reasonable prices and, of course, happy customers. 
Osso is the only restaurant in the Scottish Borders to hold
 a Bib Gourmand from the Michelin Guide for “exceptionally good food at moderate 
prices” – an award that the 36-cover restaurant has retained since 2011. 
For more information visit: https://ossorestaurant.com

Ingredients: Serves 4
450g diced lamb shoulder
1 tbsp tomato purée
1 green pepper, diced
2 carrots, peeled and diced
2 cloves of garlic, crushed
1 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp ground cumin
½ tsp ground ginger
2 tbsp. harissa paste
2 small preserved lemons, cut into eighths
1 tin of chopped tomatoes
50g currants
25g flaked almonds, toasted
25g mint, shredded
25g coriander, shredded
2 whole chillies (optional)
½ tsp chilli flakes 
(optional)
Salt and pepper to season


Method 
1 Heat a large pot with a splash 
of oil on a medium to high heat. Add the lamb and brown the meat. 
2 Once the lamb has been seared off, turn the heat down slightly and mix in the tomato puree. Cook it out for 2 minutes. 
3 Piece the chillies with a skewer to release the flavours, but leave them whole. Add them, along with the garlic, chilli flakes, cumin, coriander, ginger and harissa paste, and stir in well, allowing to cook for one minute. 
4 Next, add the green pepper and carrots. Stir well again, before adding the chopped tomatoes. 
5 Top up with water, and bring 
the stew to the boil. Once boiling, turn down the heat and allow 
the stew to simmer, keeping an eye on it so it doesn’t go too 
dry. Add more water when needed. Leave the stew to cook for around an hour, before adding the lemon.
6 Once the meat is tender, after around 2 hours, add the currants, almonds and herbs, and mix in well. Simmer for a couple of minutes, before serving with couscous.

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