Gosh, I love what I do. The Bible says the gift of a man maketh a way for him and in my case, though the financial rewards and recognition haven’t come in yet, I am still very grateful for the immeasurable gift of the good people I have met through what I do. When all is said and done, no matter what you have, without good people around you, it means nothing. Some friends and I decided to have a ladies day out with the children. We planned it for weeks, everyone allocating what each person was bringing. It was a day filled with food, great conversation, the delightful chatter and laughter of kids running around. The weather didn’t cooperate, but we didn’t mind. Who needs the sun, when you can stay indoors and have a good girls chat.
On the list of the Potluck contribution were Kemi’s fried rice, Joke’s Jambalaya, Vivian’s Sandwiches, Ade’s Grilled and barbecued chicken, Kemi’s sausage rolls and Puff Puff, we also had Chapman, and my contribution was Lamb Suya which surprisingly went down a treat.
Here is my favourite picture from the day. I deliberately added this picture because till now we all can’t remember what was going on when I took this shot. Candid shots are the best because they tell a story and anyone looking at it can form their own stories. If you are interested, you can join in the conversation and say what you think was going on here.
I was too busy enjoying myself to take pictures of the food as we were eating it, but I made a mental note to take some home and shoot some pictures.
The best chocolate cupcakes I have ever had, and that’s rich coming from a self-professed hater of chocolate cakes
This was for the grown ups. it had an interesting Bailey’s filling and it was cute to see a square cupcake
Kemi’s Fried rice – AMAZING
Who would have known? Halogen ovens make the best Boli. FACT!!!! Your traditional oven has got nothing on this method.
Soft, gooey in the middle, it smells amazing. Try it today and up your Boli game
Joke’s Prawn and Chorizo Jambalaya. I have a jambalaya recipe on the blog, if you would like to try this
Now, to the Lamb Suya. It was really, really good, it disappeared in minutes. I thought ooooh, I must share the recipe now that summer is upon us and it is barbecue season. Lamb is a very delicate meat and it has its own unique flavour which you must preserve by not downing it in too many spices. Let the taste of Lamb shine through and you just guide it with spices. After my experience with Steak au Uziza (a 9ja twist on the French Steak au poivre), I have decided that from henceforth, any grilling of meats, I would keep it simple. The recipe for my Steak au Uziza,click HERE. Back to Lamb Suya
You will need
Legs of Lamb - you can also use lamb chops
Yaji - suya spice
Salt
Seasoning cubes - just a little
Red Onions
Spring onions
Basil - efinrin or scent leaf
Dry pepper - cayenne pepper
Sunflower oil
How To
1. Get out your lamb and lay it in a deep oven tray, and make deep cuts into the flesh with a knife
2. Sprinkle on all the powdered spices on the lamb and drizzle on a little oil. Dooney’s Kitchen Tip: the oil is to bind the powdered ingredients into a paste, which you will then rub all over the lamb, and into the gashes made by the knife. This is to ensure that it penetrates the flesh and not burn while in the oven. Chop the red onions, spring onions and basil and pour all over the lamb. Cover the tray and leave to marinade for at least 35 – 45 minutes.
3. Turn the heat of your grill to high, and place the lamb in the oven for 30 minutes, after which you turn down the heat to medium to allow the lamb cook from within. 15 minutes after you turn the heat down, take the lamb out of the oven, flip it over, make further slashes in the meat, and return it back to the oven for another 20 minutes or so.
4. Resting the meat is not common in Nigerian cooking, and I would like to introduce you guys to the concept. Try it the next time you grill meat and taste the difference. it is absolutely vital to the taste of the meat that you rest the meat once it is out of the oven. Resting the meats allow the juices sink back in to the meat, making it tender and juicy. Cutting and serving meat straight from the oven, would let all the juice run out, making the meat tough and dry. So, the principle is, rest your meat for half the time you cooked it. if you are worrying about it getting cold, don’t worry it wont. Just cover it with foil and leave it to rest. You can then slice and serve. Anyone who wants theirs piping hot, can sacrilegiously whack it in the microwave for about a minute.
………………..and that’s your Lamb Suya. Sorry, there are no pictures of the finished product, but when you have 6 hungry women, 2 men and plenty kids, no time to take pictures. I would make this again sometime and take pictures.
Don’t forget to join in the conversation. What do you think was going on in the picture above
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