Spring Minty Lamb Meatball & Spelt Stew

Boil a kettle

Peel and finely chop (or grate) your garlic

Top, tail, peel and slice your carrot[s] into discs on the diagonal

Chop your leek[s] in half lengthways, wash thoroughly to remove any grit then top, tail and chop into large chunks

Add your mince to a large bowl with half the chopped garlic (you'll use the rest later!) and a generous pinch of salt and pepper

Give everything a good mix up – this is your mince mixture

Divide the mince mixture and shape into 3 meatballs per person

Heat a large, wide-based pan (preferably non-stick with a matching lid) with a drizzle of olive oil over a medium-high heat

Once hot, add the meatballs to the pan and cook for 2 min on each side until browned

Once the meatballs have browned, transfer them to a plate and set aside, these will finish cooking in the sauce later (reserve the pan!)

Return the reserved pan to a medium heat with a knob of butter and a drizzle of olive oil

Once hot, add the chopped leek with a pinch of salt and pepper and cook for 4-5 min or until starting to soften

While the leek is cooking, dissolve your chicken stock mix and soy sauce in 650ml [975ml] [1.3L] boiled water – this is your chicken stock

Once the leek is soft, add the remaining chopped garlic and 1 tbsp [1 1/2 tbsp] [2 tbsp] flour and cook for 30 secs or until fragrant

Once fragrant, add the chicken stock, spelt and bay leaf[ves] to the pan and bring to the boil over a high heat

Once boiling, reduce the heat to medium and cook, covered, for an initial 13 min

After an initial 13 min, add the sliced carrot and browned meatballs to the pan and cook, covered, for 12-15 min further or until the spelt is tender and the mince is cooked through (no pink meat!) – this is your spring meatball & spelt stew

Meanwhile, add your mint sauce to a small bowl with a drizzle of olive oil and a small splash of cold water – this is your minty drizzle

Discard the bay leaf[ves]