persian-style lamb and rhubarb stew - recipe

*Finally* I've dug the persian-style lamb and rhubarb stew recipe out of the god-awful Delicious archive. I still haven't found my copy, though...

Amusingly I note according to Delicious, this takes 21/4 hours to cook, so plan ahead!

persian-style lamb and rhubarb stew
Serves 6

2 tblsp vegetable/olive oil
90g butter
2 large onions, sliced
1 garlic clove, crushed
900g boned shoulder or leg of lamb, cut into large cubes. I've used neck fillet before, so basically anything fatty, cos it cooks for a long time and you need that juice;
2 tsp ground coriander
800ml vegetable stock
parsley, chopped
Handful fresh mint leaves, chopped, plus extra to garnish
400g rhubarb, chopped into 2.5 cm lengths

1. Heat the oil and about a third of the butter in a large pan, and gently sweat the onions for 15 minutes, till they are golden. Add the garlic and cook for another minute. Set aside;

2. Increase the heat and brown half the lamb, set aside and do the same with the rest. Put all the lamb back in the pan, the onions and garlic, the coriander, and the stock, cover and simmer gently for an hour/hour and a half until the lamb is almost ready;

3. In a smaller pan, gently heat 30g of butter on the lowest heat, add the herbs and cook for 8 minutes, stirring all the time. You may have to add more butter so watch out! Stir the herbs into the lamb stew and simmer, half-covered for another 30 minutes until the lamb is falling apart. I tend to leave it covered so there's more juice for the cous cous to soak up;

4. When the lamb is ready, heat the remaining butter in the smaller pan over a medium-high heat, and fry the rhubarb for 3-4 minutes until just tender. Stir into the stew;

5. Serve with cous cous and scatter with remaining mint. Eat and then wistfully wish you'd made enough for 12 people...