Lamb Casserole Recipe

Prepare lamb

Pat the diced lamb dry with paper towels. Season evenly with 1 1/2 tsp sea salt and 1/2 tsp black pepper. Toss the lamb with the flour so pieces are lightly coated and shake off excess.

Brown lamb

Heat 2 tbs olive oil and the butter in a large heavy-based casserole or Dutch oven over medium-high heat until shimmering. In batches (do not overcrowd), add lamb and brown on all sides, about 3–4 minutes per batch. Transfer browned lamb to a plate and repeat until all meat is browned. Add remaining 1 tbs olive oil if pan looks dry.

Sauté vegetables

Reduce heat to medium. Add the diced onion, carrots and celery to the casserole and cook, stirring, until softened and beginning to color, about 6–8 minutes. Add minced garlic and cook 30–60 seconds until fragrant. Stir in tomato paste and cook 1–2 minutes to remove raw tomato flavor.

Deglaze

Pour in the red wine (or 100 ml extra stock if not using wine) to deglaze the pan, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom with a wooden spoon. Allow the wine to reduce by half, about 2–3 minutes.

Combine and simmer

Return the browned lamb and any accumulated juices to the pot. Add the beef or lamb stock, canned diced tomatoes (with their juices), bay leaves, rosemary, thyme sprigs, Worcestershire sauce and brown sugar. Stir to combine and bring to a gentle simmer.

Braise

Cover the casserole with a lid, reduce heat to low and simmer gently until lamb is tender, about 1 hour 15 minutes to 1 hour 30 minutes. Stir occasionally and check liquid level; add a little hot water or stock if it looks dry.

Finish stew

Remove thyme sprigs and bay leaves. Stir in frozen peas and simmer uncovered for 5 minutes. If you prefer a thicker sauce, mix 1 tsp cornstarch with 1 tbs cold water to make a slurry and stir into the simmering stew; cook 2–3 minutes until sauce thickens. Taste and adjust seasoning with remaining 1/2 tsp sea salt and up to 1/2 tsp black pepper as needed.

Rinse the rice under cold water until the water runs clear to remove excess starch. Drain well.

In a medium saucepan, bring 540 ml water and 1 tsp salt to a boil. Add the rinsed rice and 1 tbs butter or oil, stir once, return to a gentle boil, then reduce heat to low and cover. Cook undisturbed for 12–15 minutes, or until water is absorbed and rice is tender.

Remove from heat and let rice steam, covered, for 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork before serving.

Spoon rice onto serving plates or a large platter and ladle generous portions of the lamb casserole over the rice.

Sprinkle chopped fresh parsley and a grind of black pepper over each portion. Serve hot.