In collaboration with The White Company.
It’s this time of year when I start clearing out the contents of my freezer. The worst of the gales is over (although there will be a few more to come!) and so the worst of the winter ferry transport disruptions to my remote North Sea island home are over. Mostly.
Every Autumn I buy a locally grown hill lamb from a local crofter for the freezer. It costs me between £28-40 depending on the size of the lamb, and there’s enough meat to last us the winter. I remember the first lamb I ever bought all those years ago – it arrived on my kitchen table in a black bin bag in parts. It was like a murder scene!
Nonetheless, the taste of a locally grown, locally slaughtered Shetland lamb is second to none. Our smaller, hardy lambs may not be as big as those New Zealand lambs imported to our supermarket shelves from the other side of the world, but I feel very fortunate to have such high quality food available, quite literally, on my doorstep.
It’s around this time of year (next week, actually!) our weekly veg box starts up again after the winter. In the height of summer when our veg boxes are bursting with organic produce grown less than ten miles from my house (as the crow flies) we eat a predominantly vegetarian diet. In fact, this August I have plans to go vegan for the entire month, just to see what it’s like (going vegan is on my list of 40 things I’d like to do before I turn 40).
So yes, Spring is the time of year when I do my freezer spring cleaning. When we get our lamb our favourite bits are used up first. The chops don’t make it to the freezer – they’re fried or baked on the day and their 1 inch square tiny morsel of yum consumed with great glee. The shoulders and legs are eaten next.
Purchasing a whole lamb from a crofter means you’ll get some cuts you’d never see in the supermarket. You can ask your butcher for them (they might look at you funny but they have them, and they cost less than a leg or shoulder does), but we in Shetland have been known to call them ‘the flappy bits’.
I don’t know what the correct name for these flappy bits are, and if I am to be honest I’m not sure whereabouts on the lamb they come from, but I do know that they lend themselves incredibly well to being slow cooked.
We like Middle Eastern flavours in our house, and I often slow cook lamb Moroccan style, or simply slow roast it like Nigel Slater does. Leftover roast lamb gets jazzed up with Middle Eastern spices too – like my recipe for Middle Eastern Spiced Roast Lamb with Freekeh and Baharat Spiced Yogurt.
Inspired by my love of spice, and also by the recipe for Armenian Lamb found in Marian Armitage’s delightful recipe book Shetland Food and Cooking, I prepared this delicious slow cooked Shetland lamb dish the other day, and I served it on a bed of creamy herbed polenta packed full of delicious spring herbs.
A slow cooked casserole, especially something that’s going to be in the oven for many hours, needs a good quality casserole dish with a well fitting lid. Something like this stunning Porto Stoneware Casserole Pot from The White Company. This rustic feeling casserole dish is handmade in Portugal from special, robust clay with a hand-painted pale grey trim. It is oven, dishwasher and microwave safe, and it is incredibly spacious. I could easily have doubled this recipe to fill the pot, and frozen the leftovers.
The White Company have a wide range of gorgeous home accessories – I could quite easily furnish my entire house with the beautiful things that they have available!
So this dish is made from the leftover bits of lamb in my freezer. I cut as much of the meat off the bones as I could, and trimmed as much fat as I could too (lamb can be quite fatty) and made this gorgeous, mouthwatering succulent abd tender lamb casserole with it. Instead of lamb stock I used some leftover lamb gravy from our Christmas dinner when I cooked the shoulder of this particular lamb. I just topped it up with a bit of hot water to make the right quantity. Don’t forget to save the lamb bones to make your own lamb stock!
If I was making this in the winter I’d probably serve it with some cheesy mashed tatties and Shetland kale, but as it’s springtime and the weather gods have been blessing us with some sunshine of late, I thought I’d serve it with some creamy herbed polenta (something I fell in love with while visiting Paris last year) – a combination that works really, really well. Trust me. 🙂
Slow Cooked Shetland Lamb Casserole with Creamy Herbed Polenta
Ingredients
for the slow cooked Shetland lamb casserole
- 1 tbsp whole cumin seeds
- 1 tbsp sunflower oil
- 1 large onion finely chopped
- 2 cloves garlic finely chopped
- 25 grams plain flour
- Maldon smoked sea salt to taste
- freshly ground black pepper to taste
- 1 kg Shetland lamb trimmed of fat and cubed
- 2 tbsp tomato puree
- 300 ml lamb stock (or leftover lamb gravy topped up with hot water)
for the creamy herbed polenta
- 50 grams butter
- 4 spring onions chopped
- 250 ml double cream
- 1 handful mixed spring herbs chives, parsley, thyme
- 1 litre boiling water
- 2 tsp Maldon sea salt
- 300 grams coarse polenta
- 50 grams Parmesan cheese grated
Instructions
for the Shetland lamb casserole
- To prepare the casserole first allow the lamb to reach room temperature. Preheat your oven to 150 C.
- In a dry saute pan, heat the cumin seeds until they begin to brown and pop. Transfer to a mortar and pestle and grind into a coarse powder. Set aside.
- Add the sunflower oil to the hot saute pan and gently cook the onion for a few minutes, until it begins to soften.
- Add the garlic, ground cumin and tomato puree and cook for a further minute or so.
- Season the flour with smoked sea salt and freshly ground black pepper and toss in the lamb pieces until coated.
- Add to the onions and brown for five minutes or so.
- Add the lamb stock, bring to the boil and then transfer to a casserole dish.
- Slow cook in the centre of the oven for 2.5 - 3 hours.
for the creamy herbed polenta
- Melt the butter over a medium-high heat in a saucepan until it begins to bubble.
- Add the spring onion and cook for two minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Add the cream and bring to a simmer, but don't allow it to boil.
- Add the herbs and set aside.
- Meanwhile, bring the water and salt to a boil.
- Gently add the polenta to the boiling salted water in a stream, stirring constantly. It will thicken fairly quickly.
- Continue to stir, cooking for two minutes or so until it resembles thick porridge.
- Remove from the heat, add the herbed cream mixture and the Parmesan cheese and stir well.
- Serve immediately with the slow cooked Shetland lamb casserole on the side.
Notes
Click here for the nutritional information for the lamb casserole.
Click here for the creamy polenta nutritional information.
LINKING UP WITH SOME FOOD BLOGGING CHALLENGES
Cooking with Herbs by Lavender & Lovage
Simple and in Season by Feeding Boys
No Waste Food Challenge by Elizabeth’s Kitchen Diary
Recipe of the Week by A Mummy Too
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This is a commissioned recipe for The White Company. This is a paid post, although all thoughts and opinions expressed are our own.
Mum of three, daydream adventurer, OU Life Sciences graduate, occasional crafter, ex-pat Canadian & quite possibly Britain's most northerly food blogger.
Melanie Edjourian says
May 2, 2016 at 10:59 pmI’ve never made polenta before but this sounds really nice.
Life as Mum says
May 2, 2016 at 4:45 pmThis would be my type of meal ! Looks delicious
Sara | Belly Rumbles says
March 24, 2016 at 10:01 amSuch a warming and hearty meal 🙂
Linda (Meal Planning Maven) says
March 23, 2016 at 2:44 pmWe adore lamb and are always looking for new dishes that are unique. Thank you for sharing such a beautiful dish which I hope to put on our spring menus.
Tara says
March 23, 2016 at 1:54 pmThis is a very gorgeous meal and I love your photography too.
Helen says
March 20, 2016 at 9:55 pmThis looks and sounds delicious! I would never have thought of using polenta in place of mash. The casserole dish is gorgeous, I could also fill my kitchen with everything from The White Company.
Felesha says
March 19, 2016 at 6:05 pmI’m a huge lamb lover! Can’t wait to try this deliciousness! Thanks for sharing!!
Marsha | Marsha's Baking Addiction says
March 19, 2016 at 4:03 pmThis meal looks absolutely delicious! LOVE the creamy polenta!
Cristie | Little Big H says
March 19, 2016 at 9:59 amThis looks really delicious and that polenta – wow. I’m pinning so I remember to make this very soon.
kate @veggie desserts says
March 19, 2016 at 8:26 amThe polenta looks so good. I don’t have it nearly often enough and it sounds so good with the spring herbs. I also like the sound of the Shetland tatties. Beautiful plates from The White Company.
Divya@Divya's Culinary Journey says
March 18, 2016 at 11:02 amThis lamb casserole looks so delicious and flavourful! When served with creamy polenta, it must be a hearty and comforting meal!
Stella says
March 17, 2016 at 1:25 amI love lamb dishes. I find them so yummy.
Miranda (Anosa) says
March 16, 2016 at 4:06 pmThe is making me so hungry, though lamb and I are not exactly simpatico I do like it now and again.
Kavey says
March 16, 2016 at 8:10 amI don’t have a local butcher, just the meat counter in my supermarket, can just imagine going in and asking for the flappy bits, I love it! So envious you can get such amazing meat for so little but I know there are other things I can get that are harder for you!
Sarah Bailey says
March 14, 2016 at 9:59 pmOh wow this sounds absolutely delicious! I wish I had a fork I put through the screen and steal a bit to try. x
Hannah Wood says
March 14, 2016 at 9:10 pmWow oh wow, just look at this how amazing it looks my Husband would love this so much as its right up his street.
Cassandra Mayers says
March 14, 2016 at 8:26 pmI think i may have to try those potatoes 😀 They look great!
Sandi (@sandigtweets) says
March 14, 2016 at 4:41 pmWow, what an incredible dish. Also, I appreciate the tip about the dish that you baked it in.
Rachael says
March 14, 2016 at 3:26 pmyou had me at slow cooked! i love lamb and it’s the perfect season for it too. really love this recipe going to bookmark it!
Meredith says
March 14, 2016 at 3:18 pmBeautiful photos! I also love how your recipe can be converted from Metric to US. How smart is that?? Nice job!
Helen @ Fuss Free Flavours says
March 14, 2016 at 2:31 pmWhat a beautiful recipe Elizabeth. I could quite easily fill my house and wardrobe from the White Company.
Liz Mays says
March 14, 2016 at 1:38 pmIt looks utterly delicious and I’m crazy about polenta. I’m also completely loving the stoneware casserole dish.
Sara says
March 14, 2016 at 1:12 pmThis looks incredible. I can’t resist lamb or polenta!!
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine says
March 14, 2016 at 11:54 amWhat a stunning dish a presentation! It all looks beautiful!
Sarah says
March 14, 2016 at 11:46 amWhat a gorgeous dish! It looks delicious too…perfect!! Thanks for sharing! 🙂 I can’t wait to try this one!
becky says
March 14, 2016 at 8:36 amYummy! This looks amazing! Pinned
Diana says
March 14, 2016 at 8:34 amI don’t eat lamb very often but this dish looks AMAZING! Would love to have this for lunch or dinner! And I love the White Company and shop there often!
Manila Spoon says
March 14, 2016 at 3:24 amLamb Casserole with polenta is such a delightful combo it screams delicious comfort food to me!
Ana De- Jesus says
March 13, 2016 at 9:47 pmI am a vegetarian but oh my what a tasty treat that is for meat eaters.
Healing Tomato says
March 13, 2016 at 9:01 pmThis looks like a perfect family meal. I am sure everyone can enjoy the delicious flavors, plus it requires very little effort.
Fiona @ London-Unattached says
March 13, 2016 at 8:58 pmHa, so now I know why I was asked not to cook lamb! I picked the very same casserole for my post! Your lamb looks divine and I love the herby polenta!
Rebecca Smith says
March 13, 2016 at 8:55 pmThis looks delicious. My OH is a big fan of lamb do will love this
Anosa says
March 13, 2016 at 7:51 pmIt looks like something you would get in a restaurant! Really lovely and well presented. Thanks for sharing this
Tanya Brannan says
March 13, 2016 at 5:58 pmWhat a lovely recipe! I love Polenta and am always looking for more recipes using it. Lamb is now one of my favourites, after not eating it since I was a young child!
Becca @ Amuse Your Bouche says
March 13, 2016 at 4:55 pmI love that you buy local, and that there’s no waste. Obviously I love being veggie, but if you are going to eat meat, that’s the way to do it! 🙂
Jacqueline Meldrum says
March 13, 2016 at 1:57 pmI only every use polenta to sit my pizza on, but I am definitely going to try using it. I eat crispy polenta and calvero nero when I was at The Hardwich this week and now this creamy mash that looks gorgeous. Didn’t realise the White Company did kitchenware, Off to have a look.
Del's cooking twist says
March 13, 2016 at 11:00 amMy bf would love this recipe, he’s a huge fan of lamb. I need to surprise him with this lovely tasty dish!
Dom says
March 13, 2016 at 9:18 amThat casserole dish is such a lovely shape! It’s so pleasing to the eye. Mine would be utterly filthy and dribbling with gravy on day one! Love your stew. It looks so rich and so hearty and the mashed polenta. Oh I am stealing that recipe!!! Mouth watering!
Jessica says
March 13, 2016 at 9:15 amI love that it turned locally tasty. Looks like a worth to try recipe. 🙂
Bintu | Recipes From A Pantry says
March 13, 2016 at 8:13 amWe are the same like you. We buy our meat to and stock the freezer so always have some to hand. And with the current weather I would love to try your casserole along with some creamy polenta. The only thing missing is the gorgeous White Company pots and plates (which I really really love).
Katerina says
March 13, 2016 at 8:03 amLamb is eaten a lot here in Greece and this version looks very filling and tasty!
WhatLauraLoves says
March 13, 2016 at 2:44 amThis looks incredible! So warming and perfect for the colder weather xxx
Heidi Roberts says
March 12, 2016 at 11:39 pmI love having a freezer clear out – you can make some of the most amazing meals such as your slow cooked lamb flappy bits!
Emma White says
March 12, 2016 at 11:22 pmoh wow this looks and sounds totally amazing I must try it myself
Amy Hunt says
March 12, 2016 at 10:34 pmYou had me at hello! I love lamb and that looks AMAZING. I know what I’m making for dinner tomorrow!
StressedMum says
March 12, 2016 at 9:21 pmI am going to try this, I have some polenta in the cupboard but it has just sat there as not known what to do with it x
The Nice Nest says
March 12, 2016 at 6:44 pmIt looks lovely. I like polenta but cheesy mash potato and kale would be my choice. Our local butcher is very good at giving advice on how to cook the cheaper cuts and they can be so tasty.
shelby says
March 12, 2016 at 5:30 pmLooks absolutely delicious and full of flavor!
Charla @ That Girl Cooks Healthy says
March 12, 2016 at 4:54 pmI’ve never ever thought about pairing lamb with polenta before and coming from a Caribbean background where polenta is largely eaten I’m quite intrigued.
Camilla says
March 12, 2016 at 4:23 pmI’ll bet you local lamb tastes absolutely amazing and your dish looks so tasty and delicious, love all the flavours here. Loving the pot too, lovely and simple!
Sarah says
March 12, 2016 at 4:22 pmWhat a decadent and delicious looking dish! Thanks so much for sharing this recipe!
Roz Goodgame says
March 12, 2016 at 3:42 pmI really getting into polenta lately – a lovely way to cook it.
Felesha says
March 12, 2016 at 2:53 pmOh My! Lamb Casserole! Can’t wait to try this one! Yum!!
Noel says
March 12, 2016 at 1:37 pmA fabulous recipe, but I’ll admit what’s really hooked me is that soup tureen!!
Beautiful photos!
Katie Bryson says
March 12, 2016 at 1:32 pmI’ve never cooked polenta like that before, so that’s going on my list of sides to try out on the boys. It must be amazing having all that produce at your disposal, I bet it tastes incredible. I’m loving The White Company crockery in your post too… that shop is SO pleasing! Thanks for hooking your recipe up with Simple and in Season too.
Lena Hedges says
March 12, 2016 at 1:05 pmI love lamb but don’t have it enough. This sounds amazing! I’ve never tried polenta, I wouldn’t just served it with mashed potato but may have to try it because it looks yummy!!
Lena Hedges says
March 12, 2016 at 1:03 pmI love lamb! Don’t have it enough! This recipe sounds amazing! I’ve never tried polenta before, I would’ve just served it with mashed potato but may have to give it a go because it looks yummy!!
Claire says
March 12, 2016 at 12:46 pmI love lamb, this recipe sounds and looks absolutely delicious 🙂
Laura Hartley says
March 12, 2016 at 12:23 pmOoh pairing it with polenta is interesting! I’ve seen a lot more dishes incorporate polenta into them these days and I love it!
Rhian Westbury says
March 12, 2016 at 12:03 pmThis reminds me that I need to clear out my freezer. I absolutely love lamb x
Ari Omipi says
March 12, 2016 at 8:55 amI’ve never tried polenta before but your recipe looks so simple to follow. I will look out for it in the supermarket next shop and give your recipe a shot.
Michelle De La Cerda says
March 12, 2016 at 7:47 amYou reminded me, I need to clear out my freezer too. Your dish looks delightful especially the creamy herbed polenta.
KC the Kitchen Chopper says
March 12, 2016 at 1:43 amThe Hubby is going to love me even more when I make this for him. We love lamb around here. I’m grilling Lamb Loin Chops tonight, if fact!
Papatia says
March 12, 2016 at 12:47 amSeems easy enough! Thank you for the recipe. My mouth is watering haha!
Angela at Daysinbed says
March 12, 2016 at 12:39 amooh what a delicious looking recipe. I love lamb and we have it for christmas every year. This recipe loves awesome. Angela from Daysinbed
Leila Benhamida says
March 11, 2016 at 11:42 pmI can imagine the taste of the awesome flavours. What a great idea to purchase lamb to last you for sometimes.
Georgina prince says
March 11, 2016 at 9:45 pmyour recipes look amazing, so hearty and traditional they always make me hungry lol! x
Sarah Bailey says
March 11, 2016 at 10:01 pmOh wow this sounds like such a mouthwatering disk – I have to admit I do love a lamb casserole. x
Laura says
March 11, 2016 at 9:58 pmI’m often put off lamb dishes by the texture even though I like the taste. Add in slow cooking though and I reckon it will change things entirely for me. I love that you’ve put this with polenta instead of mashed potatoes – both the casserole and polenta sound wonderful. Beautiful photography as always.
Dorothy at Shockingly Delicious says
March 11, 2016 at 9:12 pmNow what I really want for dinner is flappy bits and creamy herbed polenta. WOW does that look good!
Tara says
March 11, 2016 at 7:34 pmLove both the lamb and the polenta, two dishes I have not had for awhile. This sure looks lovely!!
Dannii @ Hungry Healthy Happy says
March 11, 2016 at 7:01 pmThat polenta sounds AMAZING! We are big time in to polenta at the moment and always looking for new ways to use it.
Debi @ Life Currents says
March 11, 2016 at 5:04 pmThis would be a great dinner for Eater! So lovely. And I love that polenta you have here! Yum!
Sammie says
March 11, 2016 at 4:19 pmThis lamb dish along with the herbed polenta looks delicious. I used to go with my Grandma to the butcher, where she would purchase a whole lamb and half a pig. Meat in supermarket packaging seems so far removed from the animal it came from. So I have continued the tradition of taking our children to the butchers, although we now buy our meat from a small organic farm in Wales. I’m saving this recipe – it may not necessarily be cooked with ‘flappy bits’ but it will be made with good quality lamb. Great post. Sammie.
Janette@CulinaryGinger says
March 11, 2016 at 4:09 pmI love polenta, it’s a lovely alternative to mash. I am jealous of your access to such delicious lamb. This is a lovely dish