Farmhouse Lamb & Bean Stew Recipe

Ingredients

500g butterflied lamb shoulder
2 onions
2 carrots
2 celery sticks
4 garlic cloves
800g tinned cannelini beans
1 bay leaf
A handful of thyme
1 chicken stock cube
400g chopped tomatoes
100g baby leaf spinach
200-400ml cold water
½ tbsp olive oil
Sea salt
Freshly ground pepper

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Method

1. Warm a large frying pan (or deep pan or casserole dish if you’re cooking it on the hob) over a medium heat. Add ½ tbsp oil and the butterflied lamb. Fry for 10 mins, turning every so often, till the lamb is browned all over.

2. While the lamb fries, peel and finely chop the onions. Peel the carrots and roughly chop them. Trim the celery sticks and finely slice them. From this point, either follow the method for the slow cooker or the hob.

3. In the slow cooker: Add all the chopped veg to a 3½ ltr slow cooker, then lift the lamb out of the frying pan and add it. Peel and crush the garlic. Add it to the slow cooker.

4. Drain and rinse the cannellini beans and tip them into the slow cooker. Drop in the bay and thyme sprigs. Crumble in the stock cube. Pour in the chopped tomatoes and half-fill the tin with water (around 200ml) and pour that into the slow cooker. Season with a pinch of salt and pepper. Pop on the lid and set the slow cooker to medium, Cook the curry for 6 hrs. Or set the slow cooker to high and cook for 4 hrs, or try 8 hrs set to slow.

5. When the stew has finished cooking and the lamb is tender, carefully lift the lamb out of the slow cooker with tongs and pop it on a board. Roughly chop the lamb, then stir it back into the stew with the baby leaf spinach.

6. Taste the stew and add a pinch more salt and pepper if you think it needs it. Ladle the stew into large warm bowls and serve.

7. On the hob: Lift the lamb out of the pan and set aside on a plate. Add the chopped veg to the pan, season with a pinch of salt and pepper and fry for 5-6 mins, stirring now and then till the veg are browned.

8. While the veg fry, peel and crush or grate the garlic. Drain and rinse the cannellini beans. When the veg have browned, stir the garlic into them. Cook and stir for 1 min.

9. Return the lamb to the pan and tip in the beans. Drop in the bay and thyme sprigs. Crumble in the stock cube. Pour in the chopped tomatoes and fill the tin with water (around 400ml) and pour that into the pan. Season with a pinch of salt and pepper. Pop on the lid and bring to the boil, then turn the heat down and gently simmer for 1 hr.

10. When the stew has finished cooking and the lamb is tender, carefully lift the lamb out of the slow cooker with tongs and pop it on a board. Roughly chop the lamb, then stir it back into the stew with the baby leaf spinach.

11. Taste the stew and add a pinch more salt and pepper if you think it needs it. Ladle the stew into large warm bowls and serve.