Lamb with Cannellini Beans

September 23, 2003

There are signs the summer is coming. The groundsman is preparing the cricket pitches in the park at the end of our street. It's getting lighter in the mornings. The birds' dawn chorus is starting up again. Daylight saving is just around the corner.

It is a bit early to crow yet. Lately we've been having all four seasons in one day followed by a dark, gloomy wet day, then a bright, sunny one. But, on the whole, it's a little warmer.

Our equinoxial gales have been blowing and the lawn is very soggy, but I am optimistic. Summer is definitely coming.

The first asparagus of the season is in the shops. In a few weeks we will probably be sick of the sight of it - but for now it's a flavour to be savoured.

As I was trimming the lamb chops for today's casserole, I was hoping the next time we eat this cut it will be cooked on the barbecue.

I think most casseroles benefit from being started a day before they are required, particularly if the meat used has fat. While it's easy enough to trim the fat from beef cuts, lamb shoulder chops are more difficult to trim if you want to serve them in larger pieces.

I trim the fat from the edges of the chops and try to remove the central pieces. But by making the dish ahead and allowing it to chill in the refrigerator overnight, it is easy to remove any congealed fat before reheating..

Instead of serving potatoes with this dish, I opened a can of cannellini beans I had bought at my local Mediterranean Warehouse, and drained and added these towards the end of cooking.

Lamb with cannellini beans

4-6 lamb shoulder chops
1 can Italian tomatoes in tomato juice
2 large onions
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 teaspoon salt
1 chilli, seeds removed, chopped
1 tablespoon Moroccan spice mix
1 tablespoon powdered cumin
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 425g can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed

Place all the ingredients except the beans in a casserole dish and bake in a preheated 180C oven for 90 minutes. Remove, allow to cool a little then refrigerate overnight.

Next day skim off any congealed fat and reheat the casserole for an hour, adding the beans during the last 15 minutes. Thicken the gravy with a little flour and water.

Serve with bright vegetables such as spinach and carrots rings.