Erik’s Lamb Goulash

Erik browns the bone-in lamb and roasts the vegetables before they go into a rich goulash soup. The potatoes cook in the pot, and a spoonful of crème fraîche takes the edge off the chilli.

Servings: 4

Ingredients

• about 1.85 kg bone-in leg of lamb
• 6 potatoes
• 3 carrots
• 3 yellow onions
• 3 pointed red peppers
• about 6 small, mild fresh chillies, red or green
• 1 head of garlic
• 300 ml crushed tomatoes
• 100 ml ajvar
• about 2 tbsp tomato paste
• about 2 tbsp cooking oil for the vegetables
• about 1 tbsp lard for browning
• about 1 tsp whole peppercorns
• about 6 tbsp paprika
• about 4 tsp dried thyme
• about 1 tsp cayenne pepper
• 2 bay leaves
• water to barely cover
• about 100 ml crème fraîche to serve

Method

1. Heat the fan oven to its highest setting for roasting the vegetables. Cut the potatoes, carrots and onions into large pieces. Halve the red peppers and garlic bulb. Erik uses about six small, mild chillies. Choose how many to use according to your taste and the heat of your chillies.
2. Put the vegetables and chilli on a baking tray. Toss with oil, tomato paste, paprika, thyme and the peppercorns. Roast until well browned at the edges, keeping an eye on the tray as oven settings vary.
3. Cut the lamb into generous serving pieces where the bone allows. Brown it on all sides in a little lard in a hot ovenproof pot. Keep the bone for the braise.
4. Add the roasted vegetables, tomatoes, the ajvar, a little cayenne and bay leaves. Add water to the pot until it just covers the meat and vegetables.
5. Turn the oven down for slow cooking. Bring the pot to the boil on the hob and cover with the lid. Let it simmer gently in the oven overnight until the lamb pulls easily from the bone. Erik left his pot in the oven for about 17 hours.
6. Remove the bones and bay leaves. Spoon the soup, potatoes and lamb into deep bowls. Finish each with a spoonful of crème fraîche.