A nourishing, sustainable and fragrant braise of white beans with rosemary, garlic, sage and melting chunks of Welsh Lamb leg steak, finished with spinach wilted in and some bright green salsa verde and pink pickled onions. A perfect January pick me up and very sustainable thanks to the beans and Welsh Lamb. Also, a one pot, so less washing up and plenty of ease. My mum made a version of this for me when we moved into our new house and it’s a really delicious, amazing recipe that I love to recreate.
- It’s not crucial, but I like to make a cartouche (a round piece of baking paper used to cover the surface of a dish while it cooks) as it helps retain moisture and flavour and keeps the meat really tender. It’s very easy to do, you just grab a sheet of baking paper, and place it over the pot or pan you’ll be using, and roughly cut it to match the size of the opening. To create an even circular shape, fold the paper in half, then in half again to form a smaller square or triangle. Continue folding it into a narrow wedge shape, similar to a paper snowflake. Once folded, hold the pointed end of the wedge at the centre of your pot and trim the outer edge to match the pot’s size – don’t worry if it’s not perfect. When you unfold it, you should have a round piece of paper that fits nicely. To allow a bit of steam to escape during cooking, cut a small hole in the centre of the paper. Set aside for now.
- Now, to make the stew, heat a tablespoon of the olive oil in a heavy-bottomed cast iron skillet or frying pan. Season the meat well with salt and pepper and brown it all over in the oil, then remove to a bowl. Deglaze the pan with the wine, scraping up any of the meaty browning and crusty bits that have formed, and pour the liquid over the lamb.
- Clean the pan, and return it to the heat with a splash more olive oil, then add the rosemary, bay and sage and swirl to infuse in the warm oil. Before it starts to brown, slide in the veg, season with a good pinch of salt and chilli flakes, and cook gently over a medium heat, until softened and fragrant – 5-8 mins. Add the garlic and lemon zest, stir and cook for a couple more minutes, then pour over the beans and half their stock and bring to the boil. Turn down to a simmer, add the meat and wine back in, top the surface of the cassoulet with a cartouche, replace the lid, but leave it ajar to let out some steam, and cook everything gently for two to three hours, or until the meat is really melting and tender. Once fork tender, stir in the spinach to wilt, and the extra butter beans to stir through, and finish with the fresh parsley.
- To make the salsa verde, finely chop all the herbs and capers and mix together with the anchovies, garlic, mustard, olive oil, salt and pepper and then finish with the red wine vinegar, adding a teaspoon at a time until it’s sharp and zippy.
- Spoon the cassoulet between warm bowls and top with spoonfuls of the green sauce. Serve with giant cous cous or piping hot garlic bread.
Equipment:
1 large, heavy-bottomed, lidded casserole dish
1 sheet of greaseproof paper to make a cartouche