Lamb Casserole Recipe

Marinate Lamb

Combine the Greek yogurt, 2 tbs olive oil, minced garlic, chopped rosemary, dried oregano, smoked paprika, 1 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp black pepper in a large bowl. Add the cubed lamb and toss to coat evenly. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, up to 4 hours (30 minutes sufficient if short on time).

Prepare vegetables: slice the onion, peel and chunk the carrots, trim and cut the celery, halve the potatoes if needed, and halve the mushrooms. Set aside with thyme sprigs and bay leaves.

Preheat and Sear

Preheat oven to 160°C (325°F). Heat a large ovenproof Dutch oven or heavy casserole over medium-high heat. Add 2 tbs vegetable oil. When shimmering, add half the marinated lamb in a single layer, leaving excess marinade behind (reserve marinade). Sear without moving until deeply browned on one side, about 3 minutes, then turn and brown on the remaining sides, another 2–3 minutes. Remove seared lamb to a plate and repeat with the remaining lamb. Work in batches to avoid crowding. Wipe out excess fat if the pot becomes very smoky; reserve about 1 tbs of fond in the pot.

Sauté Vegetables

Reduce heat to medium. Add 1 tbs butter to the pot. Add the sliced onion, carrots and celery. Sauté, stirring occasionally, until the onion softens and begins to color, about 6 minutes. Add mushrooms and cook another 3 minutes until they release liquid. Stir in tomato paste and cook 1 minute to reduce its raw flavor.

Deglaze

Pour in the red wine (120 ml) to deglaze the pan, scraping up browned bits from the bottom with a wooden spoon. Let the wine reduce by half, about 2–3 minutes. If not using wine, add an equivalent amount of stock and scrape.

Assemble Casserole

Return all seared lamb and any accumulated juices to the pot. Add the halved potatoes, thyme sprigs, bay leaves, 1 tsp salt (adjust later), 1/4 tsp black pepper, Worcestershire sauce and the 600 ml stock. Stir to combine and bring to a gentle simmer.

Braise

Cover the Dutch oven with its lid (or tightly with foil) and transfer to the preheated oven. Braise for 1 hour 45 minutes to 2 hours, until lamb is fork-tender and potatoes are cooked through. Check at 1 hour 15 minutes: if liquid level is very low, add 60 ml more stock and continue cooking.

Thicken Sauce (optional)

When casserole is done, remove from oven and place pot on the stovetop. Remove and discard thyme sprigs and bay leaves. If you prefer a thicker sauce, mix 1 tsp cornstarch with 1 tbs cold water to make a slurry. Bring the braising liquid to a simmer over medium heat and whisk in the slurry. Simmer for 1–2 minutes until sauce thickens. Taste and adjust seasoning with remaining salt and pepper as needed.

Serve

Spoon casserole into shallow bowls or onto plates. Sprinkle chopped fresh parsley over each portion and serve hot.