Rustic Lamb & Olive Casserole

Serves: 4

Prep time: 15 mins

Cook time: 2 hrs 15 mins

Ingredients:

1 large sprigs of fresh rosemary
1 tbsp olive oil
800g lamb shoulder, cut into 3cm chunks
1 small jar (around 150g) green or black olives, stones removed
1 small jar pickled onions, drained
2 x 400g tins of chopped tomatoes
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method:

Preheat the oven to 170°C
Place a large (30 cm) shallow casserole dish on high heat. Strip in the rosemary leaves, drizzle with olive oil and crisp them up for 1 minute. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside.
Add the lamb pieces to the hot pan and cook for about 2 minutes, just to get a little colour on the outside.
Meanwhile, squash and de-stone the olives, then add them to the pan along with the drained pickled onions. Toss everything together.
Pour in the tinned tomatoes, breaking them up with a wooden spoon, then fill one of the empty tins twice with water and add that too.
Cover and place in the oven for 2 hours, or until the lamb is tender and the sauce is rich and thick. Stir halfway through, loosening with a splash of water if it’s looking dry.

Taste and season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle over the crispy rosemary leaves to finish.

Serve with: Creamy mashed potatoes, crusty bread or a simple green salad.