Mongolian Lamb
An Original Recipe by Lorraine Elliott
Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 10 minutes
Serves: 4
- 550g/1.2lbs lamb backstrap, semi frozen ideally
- 2 teaspoons bicarbonate of soda
- 2 tablespoons cornflour/fine cornstarch
- 3-4 tablespoons oil
- 2 cloves garlic, peeled and finely diced
- 1 inch ginger, peeled and finely diced
- 1/4 cup/60ml/2flozs brown sugar
- 1/4 cup/60ml/2flozs light soy sauce
- 1/4 cup/60ml/2flozs water
- 2 teaspoons Shaoxing cooking wine
- 5 green onion sticks, trimmed at the end and then cut into 2 inch pieces
- 3 teaspoons cornflour/fine cornstarch mixed with 1.5 tablespoons water to form a slurry
Step 1 - Slice the lamb backstrap into thin strips and mix with the bicarb in a bowl with chopsticks. Set aside for 5 minutes while you prepare the rest of the ingredients. Have the diced ginger and garlic ready. Also in a small bowl mix the brown sugar, soy sauce, water and Shaoxing cooking wine together until the brown sugar dissolves. Also have the cornflour slurry mixed up too.
Step 2 - After 5 minutes is up, rinse the lamb in a sieve under cold running water to remove any bicarb. Make sure to do this well or it will end up with a bit of bicarb flavour which isn't ideal. I do this in two lots in a sieve. Then mix with the cornflour and set aside.
Step 3 - Heat a wok or a large frying pan on high heat. Add oil and fry the lamb slices making sure not to crowd the lamb. If your pan is small do this in two lots to ensure that the pan isn't over crowded and the lamb is nicely browned on the edges. Remove lamb from the pan. Then add the ginger and garlic and fry for a minute. Then add the soy mixture and green onions and allow to come to a boil and then turn down the heat to low. Add in the cornflour slurry and the lamb slices.