Red Cooked Lamb With Sweet Potatoes

The fragant mix of scallions, garlic and spieces in this recipe, could warm you to the soles of your feet. Perfect wintertime dish.

• Ready In: 1 hr 35 mins
• Serves: 8

Ingredients

• 1  teaspoon olive oil
• 8  scallions, cut into 1-inch sections
• 8  garlic cloves, sliced
• 8  slices fresh ginger
• 2  cinnamon sticks
• 1 1⁄2 teaspoons  chili paste
• 1  teaspoon anise seed
• 1⁄2 cup soy sauce
• 3  tablespoons rice wine
• 1  tablespoon sugar
• 2 1⁄2 lbs lamb, cut into cubes
• 4  sweet potatoes, cut into cubes (2lb)
• 1⁄2 lb fresh spinach

Directions

1. Heat a large heavy pot or Dutch oven over high heat. Add oil and heat until hot. Add scallions, garlic, ginger, cinnamon sticks, chile paste and aniseed; stir-fry until fragrant, about 15 seconds. Add soy sauce rice wine and sugar. Pour in 5 cups of water and bring to a boil. Add lamb and return to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, partially cover, and simmer until the lamb is just tender, about 1 hour.
2. Add sweet potatoes and continue to cook, partially cover, until they are tender, about 20 minutes. Discard the ginger and cinnamon sticks.
3. Lightly mix in spinach. Cover and cooked until spinach has wilted, about 1 1/2 minutes. Ladle into soup plates and serve.