Bean stews make the perfect one-pot meal—comforting, filling, and inexpensive.
Gremolata is a fresh-tasting mix of chopped parsley, garlic, and lemon zest. I use it to sprinkle over roast or braised meats, pastas, or anything pan-grilled—delicious! If you’re short of time, you could replace it with some chopped parsley instead.
Serves 6
- 18 ounces boned leg or shoulder of lamb, trimmed of fat and cut into 1 1/4-inch cubes
- All-purpose flour, for dusting
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 2 ounces onions, finely chopped (about 1/2 cup)
- 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 8 ounces carrots, finely diced (about 2 cups)
- 1 celery stalk, finely diced
- 2 bay leaves
- A few generous sprigs of rosemary
- 2 (14-ounce) cans of Italian chopped tomatoes
- 1 1/2 cups white wine
- 1 1/2 cups homemade lamb stock or water
- 2 (14-ounce) cans of cannellini beans, rinsed in cold water and drained
- Sea salt flakes and freshly ground black pepper
For the gremolata:
- 4 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley
- 1 generous teaspoon grated or finely chopped organic lemon zest
- 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- Sea salt flakes, to taste
Dust the cubes of lamb with flour and season with salt and pepper. Heat the olive oil in a casserole and fry the lamb in batches until brown. Remove the lamb to a plate and set aside.
Add the onions, garlic, carrots, and celery to the casserole and cook over medium heat for 3–4 minutes until the onions are beginning to soften and are slightly golden. Add the lamb.
Reduce the heat to low and put in the bay leaves, rosemary, tomatoes, white wine, and lamb stock or water. Bring slowly to a boil, cover the pan with a lid, and simmer very gently for about 1 1/2 hours, or until the lamb is tender. Add the cannellini beans 15 minutes before the end.
To make the gremolata, mix all of the ingredients in a small bowl, season to taste with salt, and serve soon.
Remove the rosemary sprigs from the lamb and check the seasoning. Serve with the gremolata.
Recipe reprinted with permission from “One Pot Feeds All” by Darina Allen. Published by Kyle Books.