Sweet Potato & Lamb Cakes

It would be lovely to suggest that this adaptation of Moro's Lamb Cake recipe was the result of creative culinary thinking... but actually I didn't have enough white potatoes (hence the sweet ones) and I had bought a foolishly large amount of fresh red chilli earlier that week, some of which I needed to use up (hence the added heat in this version). These spicy Lamb Cakes were definitely delicious, and not as big a faff as the recipe might look at first glance!

Ingredients

  • 400g Sweet Potatoes
  • 400g Potatoes
  • 200g Lamb
  • 1 Onion
  • 3 Cloves
  • 3 Cardamon Cloves
  • 1 tsp Cinnamon
  • 1 fresh Red Chilli
  • 1 big squeeze Tomato Puree
  • 50g Pine Nuts
  • Semolina for dusting

Scrub the Potatoes and Sweet Potatoes – and chop them into large chunks before simmering until soft

Leave them to cool – when they aren’t hot anymore – pull the skin off the Sweet Potatoes (not the White ones – their skin mashes more easily and doesn’t go so black) – and mash all of them carefull.  Mix in 1 tbsp Plain Flour to make your dough

While the Potatoes are boiling, make your Lamb Mix… Chop and gently fry an Onion

Crush the Cardamon seeds and the Cloves (or whizz them up in a coffee grinder??)

When the Onion is soft – add the Cardamon, Cloves and Cinnamon and stir for a minute

Add the Lamb and brown all over – you want lots of colour on the Lamb – don’t let it burn but definitely let it go a bit crusty, so there is some sweetness to the meat.  Towards the end of cooking add half a very finely chopped Red Chilli

When the Lamb is really cooked (about 15 mins) – add a squeeze of Tomato Puree and 2 tbsp Water; stir.  Now add the Pine Nuts.  Mix – turn off and allow to cool

When the Lamb is cool and your Potato Dough is made – divide both the mixtures into 4 or 5 equal portions…

Flatten each portion of the Potato into a large disc, and fill each one with a tablespoon of the Lamb.  Squash the sides up so the Lamb is in the centre of the Pattie, surrounded by the Potato.  Shape into neat burger (but larger) shapes – and lightly dust in Semolina before laying on a plate to firm up

To cook these Lamb Cakes – heat some Olive Oil and when very hot – add the Cakes for 4 or 5 minutes on each side.  Don’t crowd the pan when you are cooking – but instead do them in more than one batch of frying.  You can keep them warm in the oven at 180˚c for 15 or 20 minutes after cooking – in some ways they are even better than when just fried!

Serve with a Coriander and Tomato Salad – or something fresh with some Mint and Parsley…

[Adapted very slightly from Sam & Sam Clark's Moro Casa book]

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