HENRY HARRIS
GEORGIA’S LAMB STEW RECIPE
(Provides approximately 8 servings)
I first cooked a larger version of this recipe for a big gathering to celebrate my daughter Georgia’s first birthday. It was the first time as a growing family that we had entertained a large group to celebrate a family occasion. It’s not always easy keeping everyone happy and together but feeding them well goes a long way towards helping achieve that goal! This is, as with most stews, much better if done the day before and with orgainic lamb; makes entertaining family and friends less stressful and hectic on the day!
Ingredients
2kg middle neck fillet of lamb (preferably organic lamb)
olive oil
4 onions* finely chopped
1 carrot* finely chopped
2 leeks* finely chopped
2 teaspoons tomato puree
4 garlic cloves* peeled and chopped
bottle of red wine
2 tins chopped plum tomato
4 bay leaves*
125g good black olives, pitted
bunch picked flat parsley*
For the beans:
750g flageolets, soaked overnight in plenty of water
1 carrot*
1 onion*
1 leek*
2 celery sticks*
6 garlic cloves* finely chopped
large sprig of rosemary*
750ml whipping cream
Method
1. Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/Gas mark 4
2. Season the lamb fillets with salt and pepper and sauté in a little oil in small batches until well coloured.
3. Transfer to a dish and reserve.
4. Add the onion, carrots, leeks and tomato puree and cook on a low heat for 10 minutes so the vegetables throw off a little liquid. By stirring frequently, the vegetables will deglaze the pan.
5. Turn up the heat and continue cooking until the vegetables are lightly browned.
6. Add the garlic and 30 seconds later, the chopped plum tomatoes and bay leaves.
7. Cook on a medium heat for about 20 minutes to reduce the liquid content by at least half.
8. Add the red wine, bring back to the boil and simmer for 10 minutes.
9. Return the meat to the pan and place in the oven, uncovered, for about one hour, or until the meat is cooked.
10. Remove the meat from the oven and gently stir in the black olives. Check the seasoning.
11. If you are planning to serve the stew the next day, allow it to cool in the covered pan for about 1 hour and then put in the fridge.
12. To reheat, remove the pan from the fridge an hour before heating up gently on the hob top or transfer to a casserole dish and heat thoroughly in a preheated oven at 180°C/350°F/Gas mark 4 for at least 45 mins or until piping hot.
13. Meanwhile, strain the beans and place in a large saucepan, cover with plenty of water, bring to the boil and remove the scum. Simmer for 10 minutes and drain.
14. Rinse out the saucepan, return the beans, recover with hot water from the tap and bring back to the boil.
15. Lower the heat and simmer for anything from one to two hours, it really does depend on the vintage of your beans.
16. Drain the beans and keep warm.
17. In a separate pan, heat all the other ingredients, season well with salt and pepper and simmer for 10 minutes. Add this mixture to the beans, stir well and heat through.
18. Place a generous portion of the beans on each plates. Stir the parsley into the lamb and serve with the beans.
Henry Harris © 2007