Slow-cooked lamb shoulder and bean stew

Adapted from Hungry Campers Cookbook 

by Katy Holder

(serves 6-8)

This dish has a great combination of slow-cooked fall-off-the-bone lamb, salty olives and creamy feta in a rich tomato-based sauce. I don't usually like beans but I felt they soaked up the sauce, gave some substance to the dish and made the lamb stretch a bit further! 

We tried this for the first time whilst cooking for 40-50 people at beach mission a few weeks ago. We did 3 rounds in the slow-cooker, starting the day before. It wasn't a lot of work for a great result, with the toughest part being not able to eat it for the 1.5 days we spent smelling it whilst preparing! Definitely a crowd-pleaser and would be great for dinner parties and cold winter (or summer) nights :)

Prep time: 30 minutes
Cooking time: 9 hours (8 hours in slow-cooker)

Ingredients
2 brown onions
6 garlic cloves
2kg lamb shoulder (or 1.2 kg boneless)
2 C red wine or chicken stock
2x 400 g tins diced tomato
2 x 400 g tins cannellini beans, drained
5 bay leaves
1 tsp dried rosemary or 2 sprigs fresh rosemary
1 tsp dried oregano
2 tsp herb and garlic salt
ground pepper
150 g pitted kalamata olives
200 g Danish feta cheese (or a soft creamy one)
500 g cous cous 
5 sprigs parsley

Steamed vegetables, to serve
3 cobs corn
2 broccoli
1 kg carrots

Method
1. Roughly chop the onion and garlic. Pan-fry on medium heat. Remove and place in the slow cooker.

2. Remove the skin and obvious fat off the lamb and sear on all sides on the grill for about 2 minutes each side. Place in the slow cooker.

3. Add in the red wine or chicken stock, tinned tomatoes, bay leaves, rosemary, oregano and season with herb and garlic salt, salt and ground pepper. Cook on low heat for 8 hours, checking occasionally (if possible) to ensure the meat is covered by the sauce.
NB. The meat should be very tender by the time you get it out, it will probably just fall off the bone! 

4. Prior to serving, put everything into a large pot and bring back to the boil. Remove the meat off the bone and break it up. Add the cannellini beans and olives, stir through and simmer for another 30 minutes. 
5. Cut the corn cobs into quarters. Cut the broccoli into bite-size florets and the carrots into 1cm thick circles. Steam all the vegetables for 20min.
NB. If you don't have the equipment/time then just boil in lots for 3-5min each.
6. Cook the cous cous by putting it in a large bowl and add 500mL of boiling water and cover for 3 minutes. Remove the lid and fluff with a fork. Season with olive oil, salt, pepper and chopped parsley.
5. Top the stew with feta, and serve with cous cous and steamed vegetables.