Stew/Casseroles - Alberta Lamb

Bobotie

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Serves 4

Ingredients:

1 large slice bread crusts removed

300ml/.5 pint milk

25g/1oz butter

1 onion finely chopped

1 dessert apple peeled cored and chopped

1.5 teaspoons curry powder

1 tablespoon mango chutney

25g/1oz flaked almonds

15g/.5 oz seedless raisins

1 tablespoon lemon juice

450g/1lb minced cooked lamb

salt & fleshly ground black pepper

2 eggs beaten

few lemon line or orange or bay leaves

parsley springs to garnish

Method:

  1. Soak the bread in the milk and grease a medium sized pie dish.
  2. Heat the butter in a saucepan, add the onion and apple and cook for 5 minutes. Stir in the curry powder and continue to cook for 5 minutes. Add the chutney, almonds, raisins and lemon juice.
  3. Squeeze the milk from the bread and add the bread to the lamb, reserving the milk. Fork the bread into the meat and season generously. Add the curried mixture and combine well.
  4. Place in the pie dish and cook in a moderate over (180C, 350F, Gas Mark 4) for 15 minutes.
  5. Meanwhile mix the eggs and reserved milk together. Season to taste and pour over the meat mixture. Top with the leaves and bake for a further 45 minutes or until the top is set and lightly browned.
  6. Garnish with parsley sprigs and serve hot with rice and a tomato salad.

Easy Peasy Shepherd's Pie

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Ingredients:

1-1 1/2 lbs. ground lamb

approx. 3c. leftover mashed potatoes

1 can whole kernel corn, drained.

1 can cream of mushroom soup

dash of Worcestershire sauce

Method:

  1. Cook hamburger until done, drain off the grease. Put into bottom of a casserole dish.
  2. Spread corn over the meat.
  3. Mix soup with half a can of milk, and dash or two of Worcestershire sauce, pour over corn.
  4. Spread mashed potatoes over all, and bake in 350 oven until heated through.

French Lamb Casserole

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Ingredients:

50g/2oz butter or margarine

2 quartered onions

675g/1.5lb lean stewing lamb cut into serving sized pieces

40g/1.5oz seasoned flour

600ml/1 pint stock

salt & freshly ground black pepper

3 tablespoons tomato puree

1 clove garlic, crushed

1 bouquet garni

8 small button onions

100g/4oz shelled peas

Method:

  1. Melt half the butter or margarine in a flameproof casserole and add the onion quarters.Fry gently until golden, about 8 minutes.
  2. Add the meat and fry gently until brown on all sides, about 10 minutes.
  3. Shower in the flour and cook for 1 minute.
  4. Gradually blend in the stock and season to taste.
  5. Add the tomato puree, garlic and bouquet garni.
  6. Cover and cook in a moderate oven (180 c, 350 F, Gas Mark 4) for 1.25 hours, or until the meat is tender.
  7. Meanwhile, cook the button onions in the remaining butter or margarine until golden, about 8 minutes.
  8. Add to the casserole with the peas and cook for a further 20 minutes.

Keshy Yena Baked Edam Cheese with Caribbean Lamb, from Dutch Curacao

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Ingredients:

3/4 lb Freshly Ground Alberta Lamb

1 4-pound Edam Cheese

1 tablespoon butter, plus 2 tablespoons butter

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

1 cup finely chopped onions

1 medium-sized firm ripe tomato, peeled, seeded and finely hopped, or substitute 1/3 cup chopped, drained canned tomatoes

¼ teaspoon ground hot red pepper

½ teaspoon salt (to taste)

freshly ground black pepper (to taste)

¼ cup soft fresh crumbs made from homemade-type white bread, trimmed of crusts and pulverized in a blender or finely shredded with a fork

6 small pimiento-stuffed olives, drained and finely chopped

1 tablespoon finely chopped sweet gherkin

2 tablespoons seedless raisins

1 egg well beaten

Method:

  1. Peel the cheese and cut a 1-inch-thick slice off the top. With a spoon, scoop out the center of the cheese leaving a boat-like shell about ½ inch thick. Hollow the slice from the top in a similar manner to make a lid for the shell.
  2. Place the lid and shell in a large pan or bowl, pour in enough cold water to cover them by at least 1 inch, and let them soak for 1 hour. Grate enough of the scooped-out cheese to make 2 cups and set it aside.
  3. Brown the meat for a short time.
  4. Remove the cheese shell and lid from the water and invert them on paper towels to drain.
  5. Pre-heat oven to 350° F.
  6. With a pastry brush, spread the tablespoon of softened butter evenly over the bottom and sides of a round baking dish at least 5 inches deep and just large enough to hold the cheese compactly. (If the dish is too large or shallow, the cheese will collapse and spread when it is baked.)
  7. In a heavy 10-inch skillet melt the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter in the vegetable oil over moderate heat. Drop in the onion and stirring frequently, cook for about 5 minutes, until the onions are soft and transparent but not brown. Watch carefully for any sign of burning and adjust heat accordingly.
  8. Add the tomato, pepper, salt, and a few grindings of black pepper, and still stirring, cook briskly until most of the liquid in the pan has evaporated and the mixture is thick enough to almost hold its shape in the spoon.
  9. With a rubber spatula, transfer the entire contents of the skillet to a deep bowl. Add the meat, grated cheese, bread crumbs, olives, gherkin, and raisins, and toss together gently but thoroughly.
  10. Taste for seasoning and adjust, then stir in the beaten egg. spoon the meat mixture into the cheese shell, place the shell in the prepared dish, and top it with the cheese lid.
  11. Bake uncovered on the middle shelf of the oven for about 30 minutes or until the top is bubbly and delicately browned, and the meat tender.
Serve the Keshy Yena at once, directly from the baking dish.

This should serve 6-8, but reports say that three hungry island-hoppers could eat the entire serving.

Lamb Bourguignonne

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Serves 6

Ingredients:

1.25kg/2.5lb boned lean leg of lamb (boned weight)

350g/12oz button onions

3 tablespoons oil

50g/2oz butter or margarine

225g/8oz button mushrooms

250ml/8fl oz dry red wine

300 ml/.5 pint brown stock

.5 teaspoon salt

freshly ground black pepper

1 tablespoon arrowroot powder

1 tablespoon water

Garnish

chopped parsley

fried bread croutons.

Method:

  1. Cut the meat into bite sized pieces.
  2. Blanch the peeled onions in boiling water for 2 minutes then drain.
  3. Heat the oil in a large deep frying pan. Add the butter or margarine and, when foaming, add the meat and brown quickly on all sides. Remove with a slotted spoon and reserve.
  4. Add the onions to the pan and brown evenly. Remove with a slotted spoon and reserve.
  5. Finally fry the mushrooms in the pan juices. Return the lamb and onions to the pan. Stir in the wine, stock and seasoning. Bring to the boil then transfer to a flameproof casserole.
  6. Cover and cook in a moderate oven (160 C, 325 F, Gas Mark 3) for about 1.5 hours or until the meat is cooked. Remove the casserole from the oven.
  7. Dissolve the arrowroot in the water, add slowly to the casserole and cook for a further 5 minutes over a gentle heat until the stock is clear and thickened. Adjust the seasoning and serve garnished with chopped parsley and fried bread croutons.

Lamb Casserole with Apricots

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Serves 6

Ingredients:

1 (1.8kg/4lb) leg of lamb

2 tablespoons oil

25g/1oz butter

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

½ teaspoon ground nutmeg

3 tablespoons flour

600ml/1 pint chicken stock

juice of 1 large orange

2 teaspoons chopped fresh mint or mint sauce

100g/4oz dried apricots soaked in cold water overnight

4 medium quartered onions

salt & freshly ground black pepper

450g/1lb potatoes

Method:

  1. Remove the meat from the bone and cut into 3.5cm/1.5" pieces.
  2. Heat the oil and butter in a frying pan and brown he lamb on all sides until golden. Place in a large, shallow flameproof casserole.
  3. Add the cinnamon, nutmeg and flour to the pan juices and cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring well. Gradually add the stock, orange juice, mint or mint sauce and drained apricots.
  4. Pour over the meat, add the quartered onions and season well. Cut the peeled potatoes into 5mm/.25 inch slices and layer on top.
  5. Cover with a lid and cook in a cool oven (150 C, 300 F, Gas Mark 2) for about 1.5 hours. Remove the lid and brown for a further 15 minutes.

Cook’s Tip: Ring the changes in the above lamb casserole by substituting half of the dried apricots for other dried fruits. Apricot and dried pears, dried apples, dried peaches and dried bananas are all good combinations.

Lamb Cobbler

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Serves 4

Ingredients:

675g/1.5lb boneless lean cubed stewing lamb

seasoned flour to coat

2 tablespoons oil

1 large chopped onion

2 diced carrots

1 stalk chopped celery

450ml/.75 pint stock

1 tablespoon tomato puree

.5 teaspoon finely chopped fresh or dried rosemary

Cobbler

225g/8oz self-raising flour

pinch of salt

50g/2oz butter or margarine

.5 teaspoon dried or 1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh rosemary

approx. 6 tablespoons milk, milk to glaze.

Method:

  1. Toss the lamb in seasoned flour and set aside.
  2. Heat the oil in a frying pan and cook the onion, carrot and celery over a low heat until beginning to soften, about 3-5 minutes.
  3. Remove with a slotted spoon and place in a 1.75 litre/3 pint casserole dish.
  4. Add the meat to the pan juices and brown on all sides. Transfer to the casserole.
  5. Pour the stock into the pan juices and bring to the boil. Pour over the meat and vegetables in the casserole.
  6. Stir in the tomato puree and rosemary.
  7. Cover and cook in a moderate oven (180 C, 350 F, Gas Mark 4) for 1 hour.

Meanwhile make the cobbler topping:

  1. Sift the flour and salt into a bowl.
  2. Rub the butter or margarine into the flour mixture until it resembles fine breadcrumbs.
  3. Stir in the rosemary and mix to a soft but workable dough with the milk.
  4. Roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface to about 2cm/.75 inch thick. Cut into rounds using a 5cm/2 inch plain or fluted scone cutter.
  5. Place on a greased baking tray and glaze with milk. Bake in a hot oven (220 C, 425 F, Gas Mark 7) for 15 minutes until well risen and golden brown. Place on top of the casserole and cook for a further 5 minutes. Serve at once.

Cook's Tip: This tasty lamb casserole can be finished with a variety of toppings: 

  • French bread: Top with rounds of French bread spread with butter or a mixture of butter and herbs, butter and crushed garlic or butter and yeast extract. Cook uncovered for a further 15-20 minutes. 
  • Choux Buns: Top with small cooked savoury choux buns made with either cheesy or herby choux paste. Bake in a moderately hot oven (200 C, 400 F, Gas Mark 6) for about 25 minutes. 
  • Puff Pastry Shapes: Top with cut-out shapes of cooked puff pastry.

Leg of Lamb Country Style

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Serves 6

Ingredients:

6-9 lb of Alberta Lamb

12 garlic cloves

halved 3 onions

coarsely chopped 3 carrots sliced

2 Tbsp. oil

salt & pepper

bay leaf

1 cup white wine

Method:

  1. Make 24 small, deep cuts in the leg of lamb and push in the garlic halves.
  2. Put the oil, onions, and carrots into a large casserole with the salt & pepper and bay leaf. Place over a medium heat and when the oil is very hot, add the lamb and brown on all sides.
  3. Pour in the wine and enough water to cover the meat. Bring to a boil, cover and place in an oven preheated to 325F.
  4. Cook for 3 hours or until tender. Transfer the lamb to a serving platter, degrease the liquid, and then reduce over a high heat to sauce-consistency.

Recipe Courtesy of Margaret Everett, Grande Cache, Alberta

Alberta Lamb
Agriculture Centre
97 East Lake Ramp NE
Airdrie, AB, T4A 0C3

(403) 948-1522