Aisling Larkin’s crispy Quality Assured lamb on creamy hummus with a seaweed garnish, pomegranate and flatbreads

Wellness chef and TV and radio broadcaster, Aisling Larkin’s Moroccan-inspired dish was one of the stars of the show at her Bord Bia Bloom cookery demonstration in June. 

Ingredients:

Serves 2

500g Quality Assured lamb mince

1 tablesp. cumin

1 tablesp. smoked paprika

1 teasp. cinnamon

1 teasp. turmeric

1 tablesp. onion powder

1 tablesp. garlic powder (or 2 cloves fresh garlic)

1⁄2 teasp. fennel seeds, crushed – optional

1 teasp. chopped anchovy

2 cloves garlic – optional

1 tablesp. tomato purée

200ml chicken stock

50g pine nuts/pistachios

Fresh mint/parsley/sea lettuce

Hummus ingredients:

1 clove garlic

Juice of 1⁄2 lemon

1 tin chickpeas

2 tablesp. tahini

1 teasp. cumin

1⁄2 tablesp. water

1⁄2 tablesp. olive oil

Salt and pepper

Flatbreads ingredients

250g self-raising flour

1 level teasp. baking powder

250g Greek yogurt

1 teasp. olive oil

Seaweed butter

Method

For the flatbreads

1. Sieve the flour and baking powder into the bowl. Make a well in the centre and stir in the yogurt and the olive oil. Combine until it forms a stiff dough.
2. Place back in the bowl to rest for a few minutes while you make the hummus. Dust your work surface and using a rolling pin roll out 4-6 flatbreads approximately the size of a golf ball. Roll them out to be about 3mm thick and 10cm in diameter.
3. Heat a little oil in your pan, cut 2 small slits in the top and cook for 1-2 minutes on each side. Allow them to puff up and char a little.

For the hummus

1. Peel the garlic and pop it in the food processor with the lemon juice. Drain the chickpeas, rinse and de-shell.
2. Combine the chickpeas (hold back about 10) with the garlic and lemon juice. Add in the tahini, 1⁄2 teaspoon cumin and 4 tablespoons of the oil and water. Blitz for 2-3 minutes. Season with sea salt.
3. Taste, adjust consistency by adding more oil and water, more lemon juice or salt. Allow to sit for a few moments and taste again.
4. Transfer to a container, drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with cumin and garnish with some chickpeas.

For the Moroccan Quality Assured lamb

1. Heat the pan up nice and hot. As a little smoke begins to rise, pop in the minced Quality Assured lamb. Move the mince around in the pan for about 2 minutes until it starts to brown. Juice and fat will begin to come out, that is fine. Keep cooking.
2. Begin to add the spice, sprinkle in the cumin, smoked paprika, onion and garlic powder, cinnamon and turmeric. Cook these out for about 1 minute.
3. Then add in the tomato purée and stock. Turn the heat down and allow to simmer for 25-30 minutes. You want all the liquid to drain off and for the meat to become almost crumbly. You will have to stick with it for the last 5-10 minutes giving it the occasional stir to prevent it sticking and burning. Season with a little salt if needed.
4. Allow to cool a little and serve on top of the platter of hummus. Drizzle over some toasted pine nuts and the leftover garlic and parsley oil from the flatbreads. Enjoy!

When shopping always look for the Bord Bia Quality Mark.