Slow-Cooker Leg of Lamb with Soya Bean Casserole

I think I'd instinctively do this recipe with cannellini beans, haricot beans and maybe some borlotti beans. However, I've had a jug of soaked soya beans in my fridge for some time - good intentions involving pork belly and yellow bean sauce never materialised - so soya beans it was tonight.

We've spent a very noisy two days with family visiting. The children have bickered their way through a morning on Thurstaston Beach, an afternoon at Church Farm and a day at Erddig (where masses of wild garlic could be found in the play area). Tomorrow we are planning on visiting the Eaton Estate, and I am hoping for a calmer day.

Because we've been out and about, I've been aiming for ease when it comes to meals. Tonight's lamb was prepped before bed last night, then cooked on the low setting for 9 hours. It was eaten without too much complaint, a minor success after what has felt like two days of shouting! There were some new flavours for the children - olives, capers and anchovies - which met without too much protest.

I chose the squattest leg of lamb that I could find, in order to squish it into the slow cooker. A way around this would be to buy the lamb already boned. I probably wouldn't use shoulder for this dish, as it would be too fatty.

 

Ingredients

• 1 leg of lamb, approx.1.6kg
• 1 onion, finely sliced
• 1 cup of dried soya beans
• 4 ripe tomatoes, finely diced
• 2 tbsp tomato puree
• A splash of red wine
• 2 tsp dried mixed herbs (thyme, oregano, marjoram, basil, dried chilli)
• 2 cloves of garlic, peeled and smashed with the flat of a cleaver
• 1 tsp capers, roughly chopped
• 1 anchovy fillet, finely chopped
• 8-10 green olives, pitted
• Salt and pepper to season
• Olive oil

Serves 8-10

 

Instructions

• Soak the soya beans in plenty of water overnight. Drain and rinse, then place in a large pan with plenty of water. Bring to a rolling boil and boil for 10 minutes. Drain and rinse off any remaining scum
• Place the sliced onions, soya beans, tomatoes, tomato puree, red wine, mixed herbs, garlic, capers, anchovy and olives into a 6.5l slow cooker. Mix well to combine and level the surface
• Place the leg of lamb on top of the beans and pour over a few tablespoons of olive oil, until the top of the lamb is coated
• Season the lamb generously with salt and pepper

Ingredients in the slow cooker

• Cook on low for 9 hours
• (Optional) Pre-heat the oven to 200 degrees. Carefully lift the lamb onto a roasting tin and place in the oven for 5 minutes to brown and crisp up the outside

After 5 minutes in a hot oven

• Pour the bean casserole into a large pan and boil hard for 10 minutes to reduce and thicken the sauce
• Serve with mashed potatoes

Slow-Cooker Leg of Lamb with Soya Bean Casserole