Lamb Livers and Hearts


This dish takes me straight back to my childhood! If you have read “The Spice Cabinet Story” then you will know exactly what I am talking about. This is a dish inspired directly by my father 🙂 He used to love taking the parts of an animal that most people did not like to eat, such as the offal! – and he would transform it into a big bowl of comfort yet manage to add a feel of luxuriousness to it. It was like a work of magic. The fragrances and aromas that would come off of this dish would leave lasting, nostalgic memory on anyone that encountered it. And it tasted absolutely sublime!

Ingredients:

  • Lamb Livers 500g (or 1 pack from Asda)
  • Lamb Hearts 400g (or 1 pack from Asda)
  • Fresh parsley, roughly chopped
  • 1 yellow bell pepper, sliced
  • 1 red bell pepper, sliced
  • 1 large onion, sliced
  • 3 spring onions, sliced (separate the white part from the green)
  • Sunflower Oil

Seasonings:

  • Salt
  • Cracked Black Pepper
  • 1/2tsp Paprika
  • 2tsp Ground Coriander
  • 2tsp Aleppo Pepper/Pul Biber (you can use chilli flakes as an alternative)
  • 2tsp Hot chilli powder
  • 2 Garlic Cloves, crushed
  • 1 lemon, cut into wedges

Method:

  1. Remove and discard all fat and sinew from the lamb hearts and then chop them into bitesize pieces
  2. Chop the livers into bitesize pieces
  3. Wash the lamb hearts and livers in lemon or vinegar
  4. Wash and prepare the vegetables so they are readily available to use
  5. In a saute pan, heat the oil on a medium heat
  6. Fry the hearts and livers in the saute pan, being careful not to stir too much as you want them to brown. Flip them over every now and then until all of the livers and hearts are no longer pink. You do not want to add any of the seasonings yet. Leave them to cook in their own natural juices and flavours.
  7. Once the colour has mostly changed to brown, pop the lid on for 15-20 minutes. At the halfway mark (7-10mins), give them a stir. At this point, the juices would have mostly reduced and the livers and hearts will have a plumpness to them. Pop the lid back on for the remaining time.
  8. After, remove the lid and add in all of the vegetables (bell peppers, onions, white part of the spring onion and the crushed garlic). Stir them in well and place the lid back on so the vegetables can soften.
  9. Once the vegetables have softened, it is now time to add in the seasonings. Add in the salt, pepper, paprika, ground coriander, hot chilli powder and the Aleppo pepper/chilli flakes and stir them in well. Allow them to cook through for around 5-10mins.
  10. Lastly add in the chopped parsley and combine. Serve immediately with the green part of the spring onion as a garnish and lemon wedges on the side.

This dish tastes so good it will even convert those who don’t usually like to eat offal! You can serve it simply – with crusty bread, making a statement! Or if you prefer something heartier, serve them with either couscous, rice or quinoa and salad.

Let me know in the comments below what you think! I’d also love to hear all of your stories about how your family/friends converted after tasting this dish, lol 😉

If you would like to see the full video tutorial for this dish then please head over to my Instagram @_thespicecabinet

😍


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Caribbean Style Roast Chicken with Chicken Jus

Taking it to the Caribbean Island with this Caribbean Style Roast Chicken, the flavours of curry, thyme, garlic, spring onion and pimento berries will be sure to tantalise your taste buds! It is easy and simple to make and is guaranteed to please your guests.

Ingredients:

  • Extra Large Whole Chicken
  • Carrots
  • Onions
  • Spring Onions
  • Fresh Thyme
  • Scotch Bonnet Pepper
  • Pimento Berries
  • Whole cloves of garlic
  • 2 chicken stock cubes

Seasonings:

  • Curry powder
  • All purpose seasoning
  • All Spice
  • Paprika
  • Ground Cumin
  • Onion granules
  • Garlic powder
  • Dried Thyme
  • Olive Oil
  • Salt and Pepper

Method:

  1. Wash chicken with lemon or vinegar.
  2. Make a paste using all the ingredients listed in the seasonings. Rub all over the chicken, making sure to get under the skin.
  3. Wash/peel/chop the garnishes (garlic cloves, carrots, onions, spring onions, scotch bonnet pepper and fresh sprigs of thyme). Place all of them, including the pimento berries, in the roasting tin around the side of the chicken and also in the cavity.
  4. Cover with cling film and allow to marinate for a minimum of 2 hours before cooking. You can also leave it overnight in the fridge which gives it even more time for all of those lovely seasonings to infuse the chicken.
  5. Place the chicken in the oven, uncovered, for 50-60 minutes on 180 degrees Celsius fan or Gas Mark 6.
  6. Half way through, baste the chicken with a mixture of 1 chicken stock cube, 1tbsp olive oil and 2tbsp boiled kettle water. Brush the mixture over the chicken with a pastry brush and add 2tbsp of boiled water to the roasting tin in order to create steam and keep the pan moist. Place back in the oven for the remainder of time or until the chicken is golden brown and has formed a crispy skin.
  7. You will notice the chicken has released a lot of its own juices by now. Carefully remove the chicken from the roasting tin, ensuring all of the juices from the chicken has been drained into the tin and place the chicken on a plate.
  8. To make the jus, place the roasting tin on the stove and turn up the heat to low-medium.
  9. Discard the sprigs of thyme and pimento berries, leaving behind all of the vegetables. Crumble in 1 chicken stock cube and add in 1 cup of boiled kettle water. Taste the gravy and add any extra seasonings at this point. I added some extra salt, pepper, ground all spice and curry powder.
  10. Allow the gravy to simmer until it thickens and the seasonings have all cooked through.
  11. Lastly, using a blender, blend all of the contents of the roasting tin. You may want to transfer the mixture into a deep cylinder or a deep bowl for this process as it can splash. If needed, add a little more boiled water to reach your desired consistency.

Serve with Rice and Peas and Salad, or go the extra mile and serve it with fried plantain and coleslaw😍

If you would like to see the full video tutorial then please head over to my Instagram @_thespicecabinet

Comment below if you decide to make it and let me know what you think 🙂

The Spice Cabinet Story

So you’re probably wondering how The Spice Cabinet began and who the face behind The Spice Cabinet is, right?

I’ll start off with the face and the person 🙂

Hey! So I’m Selen, lovely to meet you😊. I am 25 years old and married to the love of my life, Jordan. We live together in London, England.

I am of Turkish Cypriot descent and Jordan is a mix between Jamaican and Montserratian just incase you’re wondering 😜.

To try and cut a long story short, my father is the culprit for my obsession with food, lol 😆. Growing up, my Dad was very traditional in the way he raised his family. He loved the idea of providing for his family and being the alpha male, so much so, that instead of making the typical trip to the supermarket to buy food, he would go on a road trip to a shooting ground and hunt for food himself! I know right! But he just absolutely loved the idea of knowing he provided for the family himself. I still have memories of when my dad would come back home and walk through the front door holding a hare or a pheasant, at the time, I had a look of horror, but now I look back with pride and awe. This was the beginning of my curiosity about food. A curiosity I have explored for the past decade, all thanks to my Dad.

I have a huge passion for cooking and all things culinary; I’m definitely a big foodie! And yep, I’m one of those people you see flood WhatsApp with food pictures😆

Speaking of Whatsapp, this leads me on to how The Spice Cabinet came about.

Toward the end of 2017, I posted my first Whatsapp Status picture of a dish I had cooked, to be quite honest, I don’t exactly remember what it was I cooked but I do remember the flood of messages that came through! I was really taken aback and didn’t expect that type of response at all. Fast forward a year and I have regularly been posting pictures and videos of my home cooking on Whatsapp and the response has been incredible!

This is just a small snippet of the comments I’ve received, and this is just on Whatsapp alone, I’ve had texts, calls and friends and family tell me in person time and time again that I need to do something with this passion of mine! 😅

I think what best describes my cooking is “multicultural” as I love to explore different flavours and cuisines. I get inspiration from my childhood memories, travelling, eating out, nature and pretty much everything really. There are so many wonderful flavours and ingredients I’ve discovered growing up; I don’t believe in limiting and restricting ourselves from being creative in the kitchen and trying out new things.

This is why I came up with The Spice Cabinet. Spices are so versatile and are used in every country around the world. They are not limited to a specific cuisine. This represents me and my style of cooking so well and I am ecstatic to take my passion to new heights through blogging. Sadly, my Dad passed away in 2016 but I want to continue in his legacy, bringing smiles on people’s faces with great food and great cooking.

I hope this helped you to get to know me and The Spice Cabinet a little bit better.

Thank you so very much for taking the time to stop by and read my post about something that means so much to me.

If you have any questions or would simply like to express an opinion, feel free to leave a comment below, I’ll be very happy to read them.

– Selen

In loving memory of my father ♥️

1962 – 2016.

#Story #About #Inspiration #Passion #FoodBlog #Spices #Multicultural

Welcome to The Spice Cabinet 😊

Hi there, welcome to The Spice Cabinet! Thank you for stopping by🙂.

Here you will find tasty home cooked meals that are guaranteed to tickle your tastebuds!

A passion that was birthed in my childhood, cooking has been an expressive art that has evolved over the years. Inspiration that has been taken from childhood memories, travels and personal experiences have hugely contributed to my style of cooking today.

Here on my blog, I’d like to share and document my meals, creations and also the things I am learning as I go! The world is filled with an incredible array of phenomonal ingredients – different kinds of meats, seafood, vegetables, fruits, herbs and my personal favourite – spices! The more I cook, the more I want to explore and discover🤩

If this excites you as much as it does me, I’d like to invite you to follow me on my adventure as a chef and a foodie👩🏻‍🍳

– Selen 🙂

#dowhatyoulove #passion #welcome #cooking #cheflife #foodie #lovefood #lovetocook #explore #discover