Kuurdak

Ingredients

• 600 g lamb shoulder, cut into 3 cm cubes
• 250 g lamb liver, heart and kidney, trimmed and cubed (optional)
• 80 g lamb tail fat, diced, or 3 tbsp sunflower oil
• 3 onions, sliced
• 4 potatoes, cut into 3 cm cubes
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 1 tsp black pepper
• 2 tsp salt
• 200 ml lamb stock or water
• 1 small bunch flat-leaf parsley, chopped

Before you cook

• Cube the lamb shoulder and pat the pieces completely dry so they fry rather than steam.
• Trim any tubes and membrane from the offal and cut it into pieces the same size as the meat.
• Slice the onions and cube the potatoes, keeping the potatoes in cold water until needed.

Steps

1. Render the diced tail fat in a heavy pot over a medium heat for 6 minutes until the pieces shrink and turn crisp.
2. Scoop the crisp pieces out with a slotted spoon and set them aside for the top of the dish.
3. Turn the heat to high and fry the lamb cubes in the hot fat for 10 minutes, stirring only occasionally so they brown properly.
4. Add the offal and fry for 5 minutes until it firms up and loses its raw colour.
5. Add the sliced onions and cook for 8 minutes until they soften and turn golden at the edges.
6. Stir in the cumin, black pepper and salt and let them toast for 30 seconds.
7. Pour in the stock, scrape the base of the pot clean and bring it to a simmer.
8. Cover the pot and cook over a low heat for 20 minutes.
9. Drain the potatoes, add them to the pot and stir them through the meat.
10. Cover again and cook for 20 minutes until the potatoes are tender but still holding together.
11. Take the lid off and cook for a final 5 minutes to reduce the juices to a thick glaze.
12. Taste for salt, then scatter over the reserved crisp fat and the chopped parsley.