Italian Lamb Casserole Recipes

Steps:

• Place a medium Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the oil and heat another 30 seconds. Dry the lamb meat well and sprinkle with 1 1/2 teaspoons salt. Place the meat in the pot and leave undisturbed for about 4 minutes. When the first side is deeply browned, use tongs to flip the meat. Continue to brown the meat for about 4 minutes on each side until the pieces are evenly browned on all sides, about 20 minutes total. Use a slotted spoon to remove the meat to a plate. Add the carrots, celery, garlic and onions. Season with 1/2 teaspoon salt and cook, stirring often, until fragrant and beginning to soften, about 5 minutes. Stir in the flour and tomato paste and cook for 1 minute more. Deglaze with the red wine. Bring to a simmer and cook, stirring often to reduce slightly, about 5 minutes. Stir in the broth, thyme, bay leaf and reserved meat. Reduce the heat to medium-low to maintain a gentle simmer. Cover and simmer for 1 hour.
• Stir in the olives. Partially cover the pot, leaving a small opening, and simmer until the meat is completely tender, about 30 minutes more. Stir in the parsley. Serve with mashed potatoes or crusty bread to sop up the juices.

Steps:

• Heat oil in a large, heavy bottomed pan on a medium - high heat.
• In a bowl, sprinkle lamb with salt and pepper, then add the flour. Using your hands toss the lamb in the flour until evenly coated.
• Add the lamb to the pan and brown in batches to ensure you keep the heat up. This ensures you seal the meat quickly and do not stew it, keeping the juices inches.
• Set the lamb aside on a plate.
• Add the garlic to the same pan and sauté until soft and fragrant (around 3-5 minutes).
• Add wine and red wine vinegar and simmer over medium to high heat until reduced by half.While stirring to scrape the brown bits from the bottom of the pan.
• Return the lamb to the pan, then add the tomatoes, tomato paste and beef stock. Stir. Cover partially and simmer on a low heat for about 1 hour until the lamb is getting tender.
• Add the onions, carrots and potatoes to the stew.
• Continue to simmer for another 30 minutes until the vegetables are cooked and serve. This recipe goes great with slices of garlic bread!

Steps:

• Soak the borlotti beans overnight in cold water, then drain.
• Heat the oven to 200 degrees Celsius.
• Heat the olive oil in the dutch oven and saute the onions and garlic until translucent. Do not allow to colour or burn.
• Add the celery, herbs, mushrooms and courgettes and saute for 3 minutes.
• Add the tomatoes & juice, stock, red wine, drained beans and the salt and pepper to taste, and heat until just simmering. Simmer for 10 minutes.
• Add the lamb chops and stir until the chops are covered with the liquid mixture.
• Cover, put in the oven and cook on 200 degrees Celsius for 30 minutes.
• In the meantime, combine the flour and butter until there are no lumps.
• After the 30 minutes are up, remove the lamb from the oven. Stir through the butter and flour mixture in teaspoonfuls until well combined. Cover, put back in the oven and then reduce the heat to 150 degrees Celsius. Cook for 1& 1/2 - 2 hours, or until the meat is nearly falling off the bone, and the beans are cooked.
• Serve with crusty ciabatta bread or just in big bowls (think steaming casserole on a cold winter's night) with glasses of red wine. This is nice also with steamed green beans.

Steps:

• Turn a large oval slow cooker to HIGH (for 4 hours cooking) or LOW (for 8 hours cooking).
• Peel and cut the onions into 15mm cubes.
• Peel and chop the garlic finely, then put with the onion in a large non-stick fry pan with just enough olive oil to stop them from sticking and brown over medium heat until evenly coloured.
• Tip the onion and garlic mixture into the slow cooker.
• Peel then cut potatoes in quarters. Put the potatoes cut side down, on the onion and garlic mixture in the pan.
• Spoon the chopped tomatoes and juice from 1 can evenly over the potato layer. Sprinkle with the dried oregano, and the thyme if using, and half the salt and sugar.
• Either cook the lamb chops as they are or cut them in half, or cut into small pieces.
• Put the flour on a shallow plate. Turn a few pieces of meat at a time in the flour, then brown on each side in a little more olive oil in a hot frypan. Put the browned lamb on top of the potatoes.
• Spoon the tomatoes and liquid from the second can over the lamb, then sprinkle with the remaining salt and sugar and some pepper to taste.
• Cover and cook on HIGH (for 4 hours) or LOW (for 8 hours). Just before serving, chop the fresh herbs and stir them through the mixture. If the chops are whole or in large pieces it is easier to remove them with tongs so you can stir through the herbs.
• To serve, spoon the tomato mixture over the meat and potatoes. Serve with a green vegetable.