Provencal Easter Lamb Stew

I came across this traditional Provencal recipe which features seasonal lamb, black olives from Nyons, some Anchoïade and a selection of herbs, beans, tomatoes, onions, garlic and white wine.  It brought back many happy memories of Easter Sundays spent with my family near Avignon.   So tasty but easy to prepare, it is definitely worth the lengthy cooking time.

Ingredients:

- Shoulder Lamb - approximately 2kg

- 4 tomatoes (on the vine if possible for extra flavour) chopped into small cubes

- 3 onions finely sliced

- 4 garlic cloves crushed

- 3 teaspoons of Anchoiade

- 200ml of white wine

- 3 x 400g tins of Cannellini (or haricot beans), drained and rinsed

- juice of 1 lemon and zest (untreated)

- 80g of Black olives from Nyons

- 2 teaspoons of Herbes de Provence

- 1 tbsp of olive oil 

- handful of fresh oregano and fresh rosemary, finely chopped

- sea salt & freshly ground pepper 

- 500ml of lamb stock

  1. Take lamb out of the fridge an hour before cooking.
  2. Pre-heat oven at 160oc or 140oc Fan.
  3. Heat the oil in a large 'Le Creuset' type oven proof casserole dish, and brown the leg of lamb after having rubbed it with salt.
  4. Remove the lamb into a plate when brown all over, turn the heat down and fry the onion, garlic and rosemary. Cook whilst stirring for 4-5 min.   
  5. Add the wine and cook for another 5 min until it has reduced by half.
  6. Add the Anchoaide, beans, chopped tomatoes, Herbes de Provence, freshly ground pepper and stock and bring to a simmer.
  7.  Add the shoulder of lamb back to the pan with its juices.  Cover with a lid (or with foil) and cook in the oven for 2 hours.  
  8. After that time, remove lid or foil and cook for a further 1 hour then add the olives, fresh oregano and lemon juice and zest and adjust seasoning if required.  Cook for a further 30mn.

Bon Appétit et Joyeuses Fêtes de Pâques (Happy Easter)!