Recipe: Crispy sticky harissa lamb

Sabrina Ghayour's take on Cantonese crispy shredded chilli beef

Cantonese crispy shredded chilli beef is one of my all-time favourite dishes and this is very much my own creation and my nod to that wonderful combination of sweet and sticky, crispy and chewy bites of meat but using lamb and adding peppers to the mix instead of carrots. It’s an explosion of flavour that ticks every box.

Serves 3-4

Ingredients

• 6tbs cornflour
• 350g lamb leg steaks, cut into 1cm-wide strips
• Vegetable oil, for frying
• 1 large onion, halved and thinly sliced into half moons
• 1 red pepper, cored, deseeded and cut into very thin strips
• 5 spring onions, thinly sliced from root to tip, reserve some for garnish
• Maldon sea salt flakes and freshly ground black pepper
• Steamed white rice, to serve

For the sauce

• 5tbs clear honey
• 4tbs rose harissa
• 3tbs rice vinegar
• 2tbs light soy sauce
• 2tbs cornflour

Method

Mix the cornflour with a very generous amount of salt and pepper in a mixing bowl, add the strips of lamb and really work the cornflour into the lamb for a minute or so. Set aside.

Heat a large frying pan over a medium-high heat, pour in about 2.5cm vegetable oil and bring to frying temperature (add a little bit of a lamb strip: if it sizzles immediately, the oil is hot enough). Line a plate with a double layer of kitchen paper. While the oil is heating up, place a small saucepan over a medium heat, add all the sauce ingredients and whisk together until no lumps of cornflour remain and the mixture is smooth. Heat the sauce through but do not let it bubble or burn, then remove from the heat.

Fry the lamb strips in batches in the hot oil for about 2-3 minutes, or until very crisp on the outside. Remove with a slotted spoon and transfer to the paper-lined plate to drain.

Heat another large frying pan over a high heat, add a drizzle of vegetable oil and stir-fry the onion and red pepper until browned a little. Add the lamb strips followed by the sauce and toss together until evenly coated with the sauce, then add the spring onions and combine well. Serve immediately scattered with the reserved spring onions and alongside steamed white rice. This needs no accompaniment.

Flavour by Sabrina Ghayour (Aster, £26)