The Cookbook Challenge ~ Week 26 Green

The recipe for this dish comes from a book called Apples for Jam.  It’s a gorgeous book, the photography in it is inspiring.  However it is not about jam,  it is about life and recipes for life.  It has a unique approach, dividing the chapters not into ingredients or courses, or cuisines, but into colours.  For each chapter there is a cherished memory or whimsical childhood anecdote that relates to the colour, they are thoughtful and heartwarming and I couldn’t think of a better source of inspiration for this theme.

Green is my favourite colour and, for this week at least, beans are my favourite vegetable, possibly because they are so good here in Melbourne at the moment.  Combine them with slow cooked lamb for a warming casserole and you have pretty much won me over.  So here it is.

Theme:  Green

Cookbook:  Apples for Jam by Tessa Kiros

Recipe:  Lamb & green bean casserole

Ingredients

2 tablespoons olive oil
600gm diced leg or shoulder of lamb
1 red onion finely chopped
20gm butter
2 garlic cloves chopped
300gm tin tomatoes
1 small piece cassia bark (or cinnamon)
400gm green beans topped (leave the tails on, unless you are me who removed them without realising)
200gm feta, cut into small chunks

Method

Preheat the oven to 180°C.  Heat the oil in a heavy based casserole over high heat.  When it is almost smoking, brown the meat in batches, making sure you get all sides.

Add the onion to the casserole with a little extra oil if needed and sauté until it starts to soften.  Just as it starts to brown add the butter and garlic and return the meat to the dish and stir through well.  When the garlic becomes aromatic add the tomatoes, the cassia bark and season with salt.  Add two cups of water and bring to the boil.  Put the lid on the casserole and pop it in to the oven.

Cook for 45 minutes, then add the beans.  Check for seasoning and add more water if needed.  Mix well and return to oven.

It is at this point that I deviated from the recipe.  It suggests that you leave it in the oven for another hour covered.  Then remove the lid and back in for 15 minutes, then turn off the oven, put the lid back on and leave it in there for yet another hour.  The aim is to get the meat to be soft and melting which is not a bad goal.  The dish can then be warmed up on the stovetop when you want it.

I started the dish later than expected and thought that the meat was doing pretty well, so I elected to return it to the oven for 20 minutes with the lid on.  In hindsight I should have done at least 10 with the lid off to reduce the liquid a bit, but it was still very flavoursome and not insipid.

Here’s the bit I forgot – you are supposed to crumble feta over the hot servings so that it melts slightly.  How good would that have been?  Alas the feta sat on the kitchen bench until after I had mopped up the last dribble of sauce with some nice crusty bread.  I served the casserole with a celeriac puree, but you could just as easily add some chunks of potato to the casserole.  When I have more time I will do the dish the long way for comparison – and I will try not to forget the feta!