Braised neck of lamb with cinnamon and manuka honey with roasted Japanese eggplant Recipe

Ingredients

• 1.5 kg middle neck of lamb (taken from the end nearest the head)
• 50 g plain flour
• 4 tbsp olive oil
• Mirepoix (2 onions, 2 carrots, 1 leek, 2 stick celery)
• 4 ripe plum tomatoes
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 10 peppercorns
• 1 bayleaf
• 150 ml white wine
• 100 g Manuka honey
• 1 litre veal stock, reduced

• 4 Japanese eggplants
• Olive oil
• Salt and pepper
• 6 cloves of garlic
• 2 medium chillies, halved, seeded and thinly sliced
• ½ lemon zested and juiced
• 150 g feta cheese, crumbled
• 50 g Greek yogurt
• Salt and pepper
• Fresh mint

• Wafer thin croutes with butter and Maldon Sea Salt

1. Heat a couple of tablespoons of olive oil in a deep heavy based pot, add the whole piece of lamb and brown all over. Dust with seasoned flour and continue to brown for a further few minutes to gain that lovely rich brown colour and flavour.
2. Removed the lamb from the pot and wipe over, add some fresh oil and brown off the mirepoix. Keep turning to gain an even colour. Once golden, add the freshly chopped tomatoes, cinnamon, peppercorns and bayleaf.
3. Removed the lamb from the pot and wipe over, add some fresh oil and brown off the mirepoix. Keep turning to gain an even colour. Once golden, add the freshly chopped tomatoes, cinnamon, peppercorns and bayleaf.
4. Pour in the veal stock, enough to cover the neck of lamb, and bring to the boil. Cover and place in the oven for 3-4 hours, until the lamb is tender enough to fall away from the bone. Take out of the oven and leave to cool for an hour.
5. Gently take the neck of lamb out of the cooking liquor and place on a clean oven tray. Strain the liquor and return to the boil and reduce.
6. Take a couple of ladles of sauce and ladle over the neck of lamb. Return the tray to the oven and, for 10 minutes, keep ladling over the sauce to achieve a beautiful glaze over the surface of the meat. Be careful not to burn the meat. Once the glaze is achieved, take out of the oven and leave to rest for at least 30 minutes.
Roasted Eggplant and Feta Cheese
7. Preheat the oven to 200°C. Halve the eggplants lengthwise and then score a diamond pattern into the flesh of each half on the cut surface, being careful not to cut all the way through. Sprinkle over the crushed garlic and chillies.
8. Pour about 10 tbsp of olive oil over the cut surface, season with salt and pepper.
9. Roast for 25-30 minutes, covering with tin foil if needed. When tender place on a tray dish.
10. Scoop out the flesh and fork to deconstruct the filling.
11. Add the lemon juice and zest, feta cheese and Greek yogurt, mix well and check the seasoning. Refill the eggplant skins.
To Serve
12. Serve the lamb with the eggplant, garnished with some wafer thin croutes and fresh mint leaves.
13. You can serve the eggplant warm or at room temperature.