Ingredients
- ½ cup (100 g) dried black–eyed peas, soaked overnight
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 2 onions, sliced
- 1 clove garlic, chopped
- 500 g boneless leg of lamb, cut into 2.5 cm cubes
- 1 large eggplant, cubed
- ⅔ cup (120 g) dried apricots, quartered
- 2 carrots, diced
- 200 g turnips, diced
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- salt and pepper
- 700 g parsnips, thinly sliced
- 1 litre vegetable stock, preferably homemade
- sprigs of fresh flat–leaf parsley to garnish
Preparation
- Preheat the oven to 160°C.
- Drain the soaked black–eyed peas and place them in a saucepan.
- Add cold water to cover, bring to the boil and boil rapidly for 10 minutes, then drain well.
- Set aside.
- Reserve 1 teaspoon of the oil and heat the remainder in a large flameproof casserole dish.
- Add the onions and garlic, and cook for 2–3 minutes or until softened.
- Add the lamb and cook for about 5 minutes, stirring frequently, until browned.
(If you do not have a suitable flameproof casserole dish, cook the onions and lamb in a frying pan, then transfer to an ovenproof dish. Bring the stock to the boil in the pan before pouring it into the dish.)
- Stir in the eggplant, apricots, carrots, turnips, cinnamon, cumin and coriander.
- Season to taste.
- Add the black–eyed peas and stir well.
- Arrange the parsnip slices in a thick layer on top of the hotpot, slightly overlapping them, then pour in sufficient stock to come just below the surface of the parsnips.
- Bring to the boil, then cover the casserole dish and transfer to the oven.
- Cook for 1½ hours.
- Preheat the grill.
- Brush the reserved 1 teaspoon of oil over the parsnips and place under the grill to crisp the top.
- Serve hot, garnished with parsley sprigs.