Lamb Navarin Casserole
Ingredients
- Approx. 450 gr. (1 lb.) cubed lamb
- (chump steaks)
- Olive oil
- 3 heaped tbsp. flour
- 1 onion, chopped
- 2-3 carrots, cut into batons
- 1 clove garlic, finely chopped
- 2-3 sticks of celery, cut into pieces
- Button mushrooms, small packet, halved
- 1 tbsp. tomato purée
- 1 tbsp. freeze-dried mint
- 1 tbsp. Joan's herbs
- 1 tin chopped tomatoes
- 2 tsp. vegetable stock
- powder
- 2 bay leaves
- Salt/pepper
- Preheat oven to 170°C.
Method
Heat oil in pressure cooker, about 6 tbsp. Fry meat a little at a time until browned, adding more oil if necessary. Take out meat with a slotted spoon and leave to one side. When all the meat has been browned, take pan off heat. Put the meat back in the pan and stir in the flour, coating all the meat thoroughly. Add approx. 570 ml (1 pt.) of water (covering the meat by about 2.5 cm. (1") and give a good stir. Pressure cook the meat for about 10 minutes. Leave to reduce pressure on its own.
Whilst the lamb is in pressure cooker, heat 1-2 tbsp. olive oil in a frying pan and fry onions for 3-4 minutes. Add carrots and soften gently for a further 4-5 minutes, stir in garlic. Add water to half cover and simmer until carrots are softening and the water has almost evaporated.
Place celery, mushrooms, tomato purée, mint and herbs in a casserole dish. Pour over the chopped tomatoes, sprinkle in the stock powder and mix well. Stir in the onions and carrots and finally add the meat and gravy. Add a little more water if necessary. Liquid content should barely cover the meat. Finally add the bay leaves and seasoning.
Put on lid, place in oven and bake at 170°C. Stir occasionally and leave for 1-1½ hours, keeping an eye on the liquid and topping up with boiled water, as necessary. Check at 10 min. intervals after 1 hr. to make sure that it doesn't start to over thicken and stick to the bottom of the casserole dish.
Finally check seasoning and serve.
N.B. Try various additions such as sweet potatoes, cut into chunks or butternut squash
* Using a cast iron casserole in place of the pressure cooker, I only added 275 ml. (½ pint) water, instead of the 570 ml. (1 pt.). Whilst it was simmering slowly, I continued preparing the rest of the dish. After the carrots were beginning to soften, I mixed in the remaining ingredients and finally added everything to the simmering meat and placed it in the oven for about 1hr. at the same temperature (170 °C). Cooking in this type of dish means the sauce will not evaporate as much and it will cook more quickly.