Lamb recipes - Our favourite lamb recipes so you can make the most out of your organic lamb

lamb recipes

Here's a collection of lamb recipes from our weekly newsletters, and some lovely ones you've sent in. If you'd like more please have a look at our recipe index! To find out about our lamb suppliers and order yours click here.

Roast Lamb with Potatoes and Carrots
Moroccan Lamb Burgers with Roasted Red Pepper Ribbons
Shepherd's Pie
Welsh Cawl
Lemon Oregano Lamb with Carrots, Leeks and Braised Cabbage
Lamb Chops with Rosemary and Redcurrant
Lamb Chops with Lemony Breadcrumbs, Fresh Mint and Feta
Lamb with Mint, Olives and Lemon

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Roast Lamb with Potatoes and Carrots

A gorgeous one-pot meal! Serves 4.

• 1.5-2 kg leg of lamb
• 2 garlic cloves, cut into slivers
• 100ml fresh lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons dried oregano
• 1 large onion, sliced
• 3 medium carrots, large chunks or quarters
• 30g butter, softened
• 750g-1kg potatoes, large chunks or quarters
• 1 teaspoon whole grain mustard (optional)

Preheat oven to 180°C/350°F/gas4. Make small slits in the lamb and stuff with the garlic. Rub the lamb with half the lemon juice; sprinkle with salt, pepper and half the oregano. Place in a baking dish and bake 45 minutes. Skim the fat from the pan; add the onion and 240ml hot water. Spread the butter on the lamb, reduce the oven to 160°C/315°F/gas3 and cook 30 minutes. Add the potatoes and carrots to the pan, sprinkle with the remaining oregano and lemon juice, and a little salt and pepper. Bake for 1 more hour, turning the potatoes halfway through cooking. Remove the lamb and vegetables to a serving dish, skim excess fat from the pan, and pour the juices over.

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Moroccan Lamb Burgers with Roasted Red Pepper Ribbons

Lamb mince makes wonderful burgers. The mint and cumin add a nice, exotic touch. and the red peppers are a delicious alternative to tomato slices. Makes 4 large, or 6 smaller burgers.

• 2 red peppers
• 500g lamb mince
• 20g fresh mint leaves, roughly chopped
• 2 spring onions, thinly sliced
• 1/2 tsp cumin seeds, ground in a pestle and mortar
• 2 tsp Abel & Cole's red chilli jam
• 1 clove of garlic, finely minced
• A pinch of sea salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 800g Farmhouse loaf

Preheat the oven to 200°C. Place the whole peppers in the oven on a rack in the middle with a baking tray underneath them, to catch any juices that fall from the peppers. Roast for 20-30 minutes, rotating once or twice, until blackened a bit and fully softened. Once cooked, place in a sauce pan with a lid or a paper bag to sweat the peppers - this will allow you to pull the skin off easily. Peel the skin, discard the seeds and cut into 1cm thick ribbons. Set aside while you make the burgers.

Mix the mince with the mint, onion, cumin, red chilli jam, garlic, salt and pepper. Divide into 4 burger patties. Heat the oil in a large frying pan and fry the burgers for about 7 minutes each side, until cooked through. Pop in a 180°C oven to cook further, if needed. Or, place a lid (or use another pan as a lid) over the frying pan to help cook them through.

Slice the farmhouse loaf into 1-inch thick slices. Then cut, using a scone or cookie cutter - or the rim of a glass, into bun-like circles. Try to get 2 circles out of each slice of bread. (Use the leftover bread to make bread and butter pudding - or to make breadcrumbs for coating fish or chicken.) Toast lightly, if you like, and use to sandwich burgers, along with the red pepper ribbons and some fresh avocado slices, if you like. Serve warm.

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Shepherd’s Pie

Serves 4.

• 500g minced lamb
• 1 tbsp plain flour
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 4 small onions
• 4 carrots (or a mixture of celeriac, parsnips, swede and carrot)
• 2 garlic cloves
• 4 sprigs of fresh thyme
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tbsp wild cranberry sauce or redcurrant jam
• 2 bay leaves
• 300ml red wine (Vacqueyras, Rhone, France 2007 Biodynamic wine is recommended as it has a deep fruity flavour which work well with the lamb)
• 300ml chicken, vegetable or beef stock
• 4 large or 5 medium potatoes
• 50g unsalted butter, softened
• A good grinding of fresh nutmeg, or a pinch of ground nutmeg
• Sea salt
• Freshly ground black pepper

Preheat the oven to 180°C.

Season the mince with salt and freshly milled black pepper. Dust with flour and toss to coat. Then heat the oil in a large casserole dish and brown the meat. Make sure not to overcrowd the pot or the meat will steam rather than brown. When nicely browned, transfer the browned venison mince to a plate, using a draining spoon and continue with remaining meat.

Peel the onion and cut into a largish dice – about 1cm. Peel the carrots and cut them into 1cm thick slices. Gently fry the onions and carrots in the fat left in the pan. If you have a lot of browned meat stuck to the bottom of the pan, cover the pot and turn the heat down to low; the steam released from the onions and carrots will help ‘deglaze’ the bottom of the pot.

While the vegetables are softening, peel and crush the garlic into a paste with a little salt in a pestle and mortar. Remove the leaves from the thyme and add them to the garlic. Stir to combine.

Once the vegetables are softened, after about 7-10 minutes, add the garlic mixture and the cranberry or redcurrant. Fry for a bout 30 seconds or until it fills your kitchen with an alluring aroma. Then, gradually pour in the red wine and stock. Bring the mixture to a boil and allow the liquid to reduce by half. Return the mince to the pot and tuck in the bay leaves and season well with salt and pepper. Cook for 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, prepare the potatoes. Peel and place in medium-sized pot covered with water. Bring to a boil and cook until a knife can easily be inserted. Drain and put back into the pot. Turn on a low flame and crush the potatoes with a masher. Allow the potatoes to release steam (and thus, moisture) for about a minute before adding the butter. Season with salt, pepper and the nutmeg. The potatoes may look slightly dry but they will crisp up in the oven from the moisture of the meat.

Rub the inside of a high-sided 9inch / 23cm circle or 7inch / 18cm square baking dish with 1 clove of garlic and a knob of butter. Transfer the venison mixture to the prepared pan. Dot the potatoes all over the top and smooth out with a fork or back of a spoon.

If you’re to freeze this dish, wrap it up tightly now and pop into the freezer. It will keep for up to 3 months. Defrost thoroughly, preferably overnight, and cook as instructed below.

Place in the preheated oven and cook for 30 minutes or until the top is golden brown.

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Welsh Cawl

serves 4

“I’m from Wales, and back home we have a lovely broth called “cawl”. I make it every Tuesday, when I receive my Mixed Organic Box,” wrote one of our lovely customers, Marc. Perfect for a wintery evening!

• 400g lamb neck fillets
• 4 large potatoes
• 4 carrots
• 1 parsnip
• 2 leeks
• 2 thyme sprigs
• A splash of Worcester sauce

Coat lamb in flour. Season. Lightly fry in a large pan to seal meat. Add 2 litres of boiling water, and simmer gently for as long as possible. Meanwhile, peel and cube the potatoes, carrots and parsnip; add to pan, along with thyme. Keep simmering, so everything cooks thoroughly, the longer the better, add some Worcester sauce and season to taste. Twenty minutes before you intend to serve, chop the leeks and add to the pan. Serve with crusty bread, and cheddar cheese. Delicious!

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Lemon Oregano Lamb with Carrots, Leeks and Braised Cabbage

This is a lovely, light and fragrant lamb stew served with cabbage that’s braised in some of the juices from the stew to give it a wonderful flavour. Serves 4

• 500g lamb leg, diced
• Sea salt
• Black pepper
• 2 lemons
• 20g fresh oregano
• 6 cloves of garlic
• 50ml extra virgin olive oil
• 2-3 tbsp butter
• 2 medium sized carrots
• 1 large or 2 small leeks
• 3 small onions
• 2 bay leaves
• 8 Seggiano Bella di Cerignola olives
• Small green cabbage or half a large cabbage

Season the lamb with salt and pepper. Grate over the zest from the lemons. Squeeze the juice from one of the lemons over the lamb. (Refrigerate the other lemon to ensure it doesn’t dry out now that it’s peeling is gone). Tear the leaves from the oregano and roughly chop. Add to lamb. (GREEN TIP: Save the stalks from the oregano as you can throw them into a pan with potatoes, carrots or other veg when roasting them.) Finely chop the garlic. Rub all these ingredients into the lamb. Pour over the olive oil and marinate for at least 30 minutes – overnight in the refrigerator is ideal.

If the lamb has been marinating in the fridge, take it out and bring it to room temperature before cooking. Prep your veggies: peel and cut your carrots into 1-inch hunks. Clean your leek(s) and do the same. Peel the onions and halve.

Place a large casserole dish on the hob and melt 1 tbsp of the butter. Add the lamb and the bay leaves. Saute until brown. Add the veggies, stir to mix them in with the meat. Turn down the heat, cover the pot and allow to steam for 5-10 minutes, check once to ensure nothing sticks to the bottom. Take lid off, give a good stir. Add the olives and pour enough water to cover the meat and vegetables – you want the water to come up about 1inch above. Bring to the boil, turn down heat, cover and allow to simmer very slowly for 1 hour – check occasionally and if it’s low on liquid top up with more water. Then, turn the heat off but keep covered and allow to rest (and continue cooking in the warm pot) or another 30 minutes.

While it rests, quarter your cabbage if it’s a small one – or cut into one-person-serving-sized wedges. Remove the thick core of the cabbage from each quarter.

Preheat the oven to 200°C. Steal 200ml of stock from the stew. Melt 1 tablespoon of butter in a large frying pan. Add 100ml of the stock. Place the cabbage quarters (you may have to do two at a time) one cut-side down and cook for 8-10 minutes, or until it starts to get a nice golden colour. Turn on the other side and continue to cook. Use more stock and another 1 tbsp butter, if needed to cook the remaining quarters if you have to do this in batches. Transfer to the preheated oven to cook the cabbages through, if needed. You can also pop the stew in the oven to give it a bit of warmth before serving.

A nice fluffy cloud of mash makes the ideal pairing for this simple dish.

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Lamb Chops with Rosemary and Redcurrant

Serves 2

Season lamb chops with salt and pepper. Rub in 1 tsp or more redcurrant jelly into the lamb chops. Finely chop fresh rosemary (leaves only). Sprinkle over the chops and gently rub in. Add a tiny sprinkle of freshly chopped red chilli or cayenne pepper for heat, if you like. Pop on a lightly oiled tray and into a 200°C oven for 25 minutes.

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Lamb Chops with Lemony Breadcrumbs, Fresh Mint and Feta

Serves 2

Mix breadcrumbs (preferably homemade ones made with stale bread) with lemon zest, a squeeze of lemon juice, finely chopped fresh mint and finely chopped (stoned) Kalamata olives. Add a touch of salt and pepper. Set aside. Brush chops with olive oil and season. Heat a frying pan over high heat. Add a drop of oil or butter to the pan. Sear the chops on each side for 2 minutes. Lay in a roasting dish and sprinkle the crumb mixture over the top. Finish in an 180°C oven for 15 minutes. Remove from oven, place on plates and crumble fresh Feta over the top. Serve with heirloom tomatoes and broccoli.

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Lamb with Mint, Olives and Lemon

There are two ways to enjoy this tasty combo: as a slow Sunday roast, or as a quick weeknight supper.

For the fast version, you'll need:
• 4 lamb loin chops or cutlets
• 10g fresh mint, leaves only
• 50g Kalamata olives
• 1 large garlic cloves, peeled
• 1 tbsp fresh breadcrumbs
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 lemon 25g Abergavenny goat's cheese

1. Preheat oven to 200C. Season lamb with black pepper. Finely grate lemon zest. Finely chop the mint and olives. Mix lemon, mint and olives with breadcrumbs.
2. Heat the oil in a frying pan. Cook the lamb on one side for 5 minutes. Flip. Pile the herb mixture over. Popinto the oven for 5 minutes.
3. Plate up. Crumble cheese on top. Pair with vine tomatoes. Serves 2.

For the slow version, you'll need:
• 800g boneless leg of lamb
• 2 lemons
• 20g mint
• 100g olives
• 2 large garlic cloves
• 2 tbsp breadcrumbs
• 3 tbsp oil
• 50g goat's cheese

1. Preheat the oven to 220C. Score lamb fat in a criss‐cross pattern. Rub salt and pepper all over and inside cavity.
2. Mix zest, olives, etc. as in fast recipe. Spoon into the cavity of the lamb; press with back of a spoon to pack as much as possible.
3. Patch a piece of foil against open end to secure filling. Place on a lightly oiled tray; drizzle oil over.
4. Roast for 20 minutes; reduce heat to 190C; then roast for 20 minutes per 500g for medium‐cooked meat. Half an hour before the lamb is done, pour a splash of water into the pan, continue roasting. Check the lamb 15 minutes before it is ready by piercing the centre with a metal skewer. It should feel warm against your hand.
5. Remove from the oven and rest for 15 minutes before carving. Crumble cheese over lamb after sliced. Serves 3‐4.

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