Italian-Style Lamb Casserole

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 180 degrees Celsius.
2. Add tomatoes, onion, garlic, herbs, and bay leaf in a large roasting casserole dish. Add some olive oil and season with salt and pepper.
3. You can either use fresh tomatoes or tinned ones. I find it’s an excellent way to use up the last of the Autumn garden’s slightly gnarly-looking, semi-green tomatoes before the bugs feast on them.
4. Roast tomatoes and herbs in the oven for approximately 20 minutes, or until everything is oozy and roasted down.
5. Leave the rosemary sticks and the bay leaf whole so they can be easily removed before blending.
6. Bown the lamb in a pan with oil and butter until it’s nicely coloured. Once browned, season with salt and pepper and set aside.
7. Remove cooked tomatoes from the oven, and turn down heat of the oven to 140 degrees Celsius.
8. Add roasted tomatoes, tomato paste, lamb stock, wine, and blitz until well combined in a blender.
9. Arrange the lamb on the base of the casserole. Use the same casserole you roasted the tomatoes in.
10. Sprinkle over the roughly chopped carrots. And if that bay leaf is still lurking about, you can toss that in to go along for the ride.
11. Pour over the blended tomato mixture.
12. Cover with tin foil, add into the oven preheated to 140 degrees Celsius and cook for 3 to 4 hours.
13. Finely chop or grate enough cabbage to give you about 1 1/2 cups full. Rinse the tin of butter beans thoroughly in a colander under cold water and set aside to drain. Once there’s 1 hour left of cooking time, stir in the shredded cabbage and beans and cook uncovered. Roast until everything is bubbly and golden.
14. Remove the bay leaf, serve up a big healthy portion and plop yourself in front of the fire or heater.