Lamb

Red Cooked Lamb With Sweet Potatoes

Serves 8

5ml / 1tsp Olive oil
8 Scallions ( salad, spring onions ), cut into 2.5cm / 1inch sections
8 Garlic cloves, sliced
8 slices fresh Ginger
2 Cinnamon sticks
10ml / 2tsp Chili paste
5ml / 1tsp Anise seed
125ml / 4floz Soy sauce
45ml / 3tbs Rice wine
15g / 1tbs Sugar
1.2K / 2¹/₂lb Lamb, cut into cubes
900g / 2lb Sweet Potatoes, peeled and cut into cubes
230g / 8oz fresh Spinach
1L / 2pints Water
 
Heat a large heavy pot or Dutch oven over high heat. Add oil and heat until hot. Add the scallions, garlic, ginger, cinnamon sticks, chile paste, aniseed and stir-fry until fragrant, about 15 seconds.
  Reduce the heat and add the soy sauce, rice wine and sugar.
Pour in the water and bring to a boil. Add the lamb and return to the boil.  Reduce the heat to low, partially cover, and simmer until the lamb is just tender, about 1 hour.
  Add the sweet potatoes and continue to cook, partially covered, until they are tender, about 20 minutes. Discard the ginger and cinnamon sticks.
  Lightly mix in the spinach. Cover and cooked until spinach has wilted, about 1 1/2 minutes.
Ladle into soup plates and serve with crusty bread.