The Best Casserole Cookbook Ever (37 page)

In this casserole, layers of potatoes, onion, and chunks of lamb, flavored with herbs and bacon, bake slowly into a succulent stew.

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12 medium red-skinned potatoes (leave skins on)

4 large onions, quartered

3 pounds lamb stew meat, cut into 1-inch cubes

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pound bacon, diced

1 teaspoon dried thyme

3 tablespoons minced fresh parsley

2 teaspoons salt

1 teaspoon pepper

3 cups beef or lamb broth

1 bay leaf

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1. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
   
2. Slice the potatoes and layer half of them in the bottom of a deep 3-quart Dutch oven or casserole. Slice the onions
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   inch thick and layer half over the potatoes. Arrange the lamb and bacon over the onions. Sprinkle with the thyme, parsley,
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   teaspoon of the salt, and
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   teaspoon pepper. Cover with the remaining onions and potatoes and pour the broth over all. Sprinkle with the remaining 1
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   teaspoons salt and
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   teaspoon pepper. Tuck the bay leaf into the center.
   
3. Bake, covered, for 2
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   hours, or until the meat is very tender and the potatoes on the bottom have cooked down into a sauce. Remove and discard the bay leaf.
   

This stew is reminiscent of Greek
avgolemono
because the juices in this casserole are thickened with egg yolks and lemon juice. (
Avgolemono
is a Greek soup or sauce made with chicken broth, egg yolks, and lemon.) Serve the stew with a Greek salad made with cucumbers, tomatoes, peppers, black olives, and feta on a bed of lettuce. Offer some pita bread, too.

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1 pound lean boneless lamb, cut into 1
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-inch chunks

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 teaspoon salt

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teaspoon pepper

1 medium onion, thinly sliced

1 clove garlic, minced

1 teaspoon dried dill weed

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cup water

1 package (8 ounces) frozen artichoke hearts, thawed

1 tomato, diced

3 large egg yolks

3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Chopped fresh parsley for garnish

Cooked rice for serving

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1. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
   
2. In a heavy 2-quart casserole, brown the lamb over medium heat in 1 tablespoon of the olive oil. Sprinkle with the salt and pepper. Push the meat to one side and add the onion, the remaining olive oil, and garlic. Cook, stirring, until the onion is limp, about 5 minutes.
   
3. Mix the onion, garlic, and meat together and stir in the dill and water. Cover and bake for 1 hour, or until the meat is very tender. Add the artichokes and tomato. Bake, covered, for another 20 minutes. Remove from the oven.
   
4. In a small bowl, beat the egg yolks with the lemon juice until foamy. Whisk in about 3 tablespoons of the broth from the casserole to temper the eggs, and then stir the egg mixture into the casserole juices. Sprinkle with parsley and serve over cooked rice.
   

There are lots of variations to this popular dish, which is originally from Greece. Some include a variety of vegetables, such as
Moussaka with Lots of Vegetables
. This recipe includes just eggplant and onion.

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4 large eggplants, peeled and sliced
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inch thick

2 teaspoons salt, plus extra for sprinkling

2 tablespoons butter

1 large onion, chopped

2 pounds lean ground lamb

1 teaspoon paprika

Pepper

1 teaspoon dried oregano

About
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cup olive oil

4 tomatoes, sliced

1 cup plain yogurt

4 large egg yolks

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cup all-purpose flour

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1. Sprinkle the eggplant slices lightly with salt. Place on a double layer of paper towels and let stand for 1 hour to release their bitter liquid.
   
2. Preheat the broiler.
   
3. In a large heavy skillet, melt the butter over low heat. Add the onion and sauté for 10 minutes until soft. Increase the heat to medium-high and add the lamb, the 2 teaspoons salt, the paprika, pepper to taste, and the oregano. Cook, stirring, for 5 to 10 minutes, or until the meat is crumbly and no longer pink.
   
4. Pat the eggplant slices dry, place on a baking sheet, and brush with olive oil. Broil about 3 inches from the heat until lightly browned on one side. Turn over and broil on the other side.
   
5. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Rub a shallow 9-by-13-inch baking dish with olive oil. Spread half the meat mixture in the casserole. Top with half the eggplant, and then the remaining meat mixture and remaining eggplant. Top with the tomato slices. Bake, uncovered, for 1 hour.
   
6. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, blend the yogurt, egg yolks, and flour. Pour over the tomato layer in the casserole. Bake, uncovered, for 15 minutes longer, or until the custard is golden. Let stand for 15 minutes before serving.
   

Shoulder lamb chops need to be cooked longer than loin chops, and this is a homey and flavorful way to cook them. Toss some potato wedges with olive oil and roast in a pan alongside the casserole.

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4 shoulder lamb chops (about 1
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pounds total)

6 carrots, peeled and cut into 2-inch pieces

4 medium onions, peeled and quartered

1 bay leaf

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teaspoon dried thyme

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teaspoon dried oregano

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teaspoon pepper

1 cup beef broth,
homemade
or prepared

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1. Preheat the oven to 375°F. Coat a shallow 2-quart casserole with cooking spray.
   
2. In a heavy nonstick skillet, brown the lamb chops over high heat for about 1 minute on each side. Arrange the chops in the casserole and add the carrots, onions, bay leaf, thyme, oregano, pepper, and beef broth.
   
3. Coat a sheet of aluminum foil with cooking spray and cover the casserole. Bake for 45 minutes, uncover, and drain off the fat. Bake for 20 minutes longer, or until the lamb is cooked to your liking.
   
4. Pour the juices into the skillet, bring to a boil, and continue boiling, stirring often, until reduced by half. Pour the juices over the lamb and vegetables and serve hot.
   

Who says moussaka has to be made with eggplant? Well, maybe the Greeks do. But in this version, it is made with potatoes. This is true comfort food.

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3 tablespoons butter, plus extra for the dish

4 large potatoes, peeled and cut into
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-inch-thick slices

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cup minced onion

1 pound ground lamb

2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley

1 can (8 ounces) tomato sauce

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cup water

1 teaspoon salt

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teaspoon pepper

About
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cup fine dry breadcrumbs

2 cups sour cream

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1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Butter a shallow 2
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   -quart casserole.
   
2. Put the potatoes in a large saucepan, add water to cover, and bring to a boil. Boil the potatoes for 6 or 7 minutes, or just until they can be easily pierced with a toothpick, and drain.
   
3. In a large skillet, sauté the onion in the 3 tablespoons butter over medium heat until softened. Add the ground lamb, and cook, stirring and breaking up the meat, for 5 minutes. Add the parsley, tomato sauce, water, salt, and pepper and simmer for 15 minutes.
   
4. Sprinkle the bottom of the casserole with some of the breadcrumbs. Arrange all of the meat on top. Cover with the potatoes. Spread the sour cream over the potatoes and sprinkle with the remaining breadcrumbs. Bake, uncovered, for 30 minutes or until the top is browned and bubbly around the edges.
   

This is one of my favorites because you simply marinate the meat overnight in the casserole, then put it into the oven and bake it for many hours at a low temperature. This gives you time to cook the couscous (which only takes 5 minutes) and prepare the mint sauce. We have mint-gone-wild all around our house, and this is a wonderful way to use it. The marinade contains harissa, a fiery hot sauce often used to flavor couscous, soups, stews, and other dishes. If you can’t find harissa, you can substitute Thai red or green curry paste, which isn’t exactly the same flavor, but adds heat and some layers of flavor.

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4 pounds boneless leg of lamb, cut into 2-inch chunks

2 teaspoons kosher salt

1 teaspoon coarsely ground pepper

2 tablespoons olive oil

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cup fresh lemon juice

1 tablespoon lemon zest

2 tablespoons minced garlic

1 tablespoon harissa or Thai green or red curry paste, or more to taste

1 teaspoon whole coriander seeds, toasted and crushed (see
To Toast Coriander Seeds
)

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teaspoon ground cumin

1 large onion, coarsely chopped

FOR THE MINT SAUCE:

2 cups tightly packed fresh mint leaves, washed and dried

2 tablespoons chopped shallots

1 small clove garlic, minced

2 teaspoons red wine vinegar

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cup olive oil

Kosher salt and pepper to taste

Cooked couscous for serving

Dry-roasted peanuts for garnish

Raisins for garnish

Sweetened shredded coconut for garnish

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1. Put the lamb into a heavy 3-quart casserole. Sprinkle with the salt, pepper, olive oil, lemon juice, lemon zest, garlic, harissa, coriander seeds, and cumin. Mix well. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or overnight.
   
2. Preheat the oven to 300°F.
   
3. Remove the lamb from the refrigerator and spread the onions over the top of the meat. Press a piece of parchment paper or waxed paper onto the meat and tuck the edges around the sides of the casserole. Cover with the lid of the casserole.
   
4. Place the casserole in the oven and bake for 4 hours, or until the meat is very tender. Meanwhile, prepare the mint sauce.
   
5. To make the mint sauce:
   Combine all of the ingredients in a food processor with the steel blade in place and process until almost smooth. Taste and add salt and pepper.
   
6. When the meat is almost done, prepare the couscous according to the package directions. To serve, spoon the meat and juices over each serving of couscous. Top with the mint sauce, peanuts, raisins, and coconut, plus more harissa, if desired.
   

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NOTE:
To toast coriander seeds, put them in a small, dry skillet over medium-low heat. Toast, stirring occasionally, until aromatic, about 10 minutes.

Stewing is a popular method of cooking meat in Turkey for many reasons. First of all, roasting requires a lot of firewood, a scarce commodity there. Second, according to Islamic tradition, meats need to be cooked until they are no longer bloody. Third, meat stewed with vegetables results in a delicious sauce.

I tend to convert dishes such as this into casseroles because they are so much easier to handle. Traditionally, this lamb stew is served surrounded by eggplant cream, known as Sultan’s Delight. We enjoyed this delicious dish the first night we were in Istanbul, only to have it served to us every night for two weeks! It was then that I found out I had developed a sensitivity to eggplant.

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4 tablespoons butter

3 pounds boneless lamb stew meat, or boneless leg of lamb, cut into 1-inch cubes

3 medium onions, finely chopped

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 green bell pepper, seeded and finely chopped

6 tomatoes, chopped

1
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teaspoons salt