Chunks of lamb shoulder simmering very gently in red wine with black olives and roasted red peppers simmered will fill your kitchen with enticing smells of the Mediterranean. Try this lovely stew with noodles or mashed potato, carrots and peas. Leftovers, if there are any, can be extended with extra stock to make a robustly flavoured big soup for dunking crusty bread or bruschetta.
Serves 3-4
Prep: 30 min
Cook: 90 min
800g-1kg boned lamb shoulder
flour for dusting
3 tbsp olive oil
1 large onion
large glass red wine (approx 200ml)
250ml chicken stock
4 roast, peeled and seeded Romana (pointed) red peppers
75g pitted black olives
few sprigs flat leaf parsley
Cut the lamb into large bite-size pieces. Dust with seasoned flour and fry in batches in hot olive oil until brown and crusty. Transfer to an ovenproof casserole dish. Meanwhile, halve, peel and finely chop the onion. Add 1 tbsp oil to the frying pan and gently soften the onion, allowing at least 15 minutes. Tip the onion over the lamb, add the wine and place over a medium heat. Simmer, stirring to knock the flour off the meat and thicken the wine. Simmer for a few minutes then add the stock, chopped peppers and olives. Simmer, stirring occasionally, turn off the heat and drape a sheet of parchment paper over the pan, tucking it down to touch the food and catching an overhang with the casserole lid. Cook at 150C in the oven for at least 90 minutes to thoroughly cook the meat. I turned off the oven and left the dish in there overnight, reheating the next day and served it with a garnish of chopped parsley.