A succulent, mouthwatering, cumin-spiked lamb casserole served on a bed of creamy herbed polenta, perfect for cold weather days.
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!), 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 a fraction of the cost of supermarket lamb, and there’s enough meat to last us the winter. I remember the first lamb I 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. Still, I feel very fortunate to have such high-quality food available, quite literally, on my doorstep.
Local lamb
It’s around this time of year (next week!), when 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.
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 one-inch-square tiny morsel of yum is 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 have them, and they cost less than a leg or shoulder does), we in Shetland have been known to call them ‘the flappy bits’.
Middle-eastern flavour inspiration
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.
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. However, 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). This combination works really, really well. Trust me. 🙂
Recipe Difficulty Levels
Easy
Requires basic cooking skills and ingredients you most likely already have in your kitchen.
Moderate
Requires more experience, preparation and/or cooking time. You may have to source special ingredients.
Challenging
Recipes requiring more advanced skills and experience and maybe some special equipment.
Slow Cooked Lamb Casserole with Creamy Herbed Polenta
Ingredients
for the slow-cooked 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
- smoked sea salt to taste
- freshly ground black pepper to taste
- 1 kg lamb shoulder 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 Shetland sea salt
- 300 grams coarse polenta
- 50 grams Parmesan cheese grated
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Instructions
for the lamb casserole
- To prepare the casserole first allow 1 kg lamb shoulder, cubed, to reach room temperature. Preheat your oven to 150 C.
- In a dry saute pan, heat 1 tbsp whole cumin seeds until they begin to brown and pop. Transfer to a mortar and pestle and grind into a coarse powder. Set aside.
- Add 1 tbsp sunflower oil to the hot saute pan and gently cook 1 large onion, finely chopped, for a few minutes, until it begins to soften.
- Add 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped, the ground cumin and 2 tbsp tomato puree and cook for a further minute or so.
- Season 25 grams plain 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 300 ml 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 50 grams butter over a medium-high heat in a saucepan until it begins to bubble.
- Add 4 spring onions, finely chopped, and cook for two minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Add 250 ml double cream and bring to a simmer, but don't allow it to boil.
- Add 1 handful mixed spring herbs, finely chopped, and set aside.
- Meanwhile, bring 1 litre boiling water and 2 tsp Shetland sea salt to a boil.
- Gently add 300 grams coarse 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 50 grams Parmesan cheese and stir well.
- Serve immediately with the slow-cooked lamb casserole on the side.
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I’ve never made polenta before but this sounds really nice.
This would be my type of meal ! Looks delicious
Such a warming and hearty meal 🙂
We 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.
This is a very gorgeous meal and I love your photography too.
This 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.
I’m a huge lamb lover! Can’t wait to try this deliciousness! Thanks for sharing!!
This meal looks absolutely delicious! LOVE the creamy polenta!
This looks really delicious and that polenta – wow. I’m pinning so I remember to make this very soon.
The 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.
This lamb casserole looks so delicious and flavourful! When served with creamy polenta, it must be a hearty and comforting meal!
I love lamb dishes. I find them so yummy.
The is making me so hungry, though lamb and I are not exactly simpatico I do like it now and again.
I 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!
Oh wow this sounds absolutely delicious! I wish I had a fork I put through the screen and steal a bit to try. x
Wow oh wow, just look at this how amazing it looks my Husband would love this so much as its right up his street.
I think i may have to try those potatoes 😀 They look great!
Wow, what an incredible dish. Also, I appreciate the tip about the dish that you baked it in.
you 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!
Beautiful photos! I also love how your recipe can be converted from Metric to US. How smart is that?? Nice job!
What a beautiful recipe Elizabeth. I could quite easily fill my house and wardrobe from the White Company.
It looks utterly delicious and I’m crazy about polenta. I’m also completely loving the stoneware casserole dish.
This looks incredible. I can’t resist lamb or polenta!!
What a stunning dish a presentation! It all looks beautiful!
What a gorgeous dish! It looks delicious too…perfect!! Thanks for sharing! 🙂 I can’t wait to try this one!
Yummy! This looks amazing! Pinned
I 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!
Lamb Casserole with polenta is such a delightful combo it screams delicious comfort food to me!
I am a vegetarian but oh my what a tasty treat that is for meat eaters.
This looks like a perfect family meal. I am sure everyone can enjoy the delicious flavors, plus it requires very little effort.
Ha, 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!
This looks delicious. My OH is a big fan of lamb do will love this
It looks like something you would get in a restaurant! Really lovely and well presented. Thanks for sharing this
What 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!
I 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! 🙂
I 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.
My bf would love this recipe, he’s a huge fan of lamb. I need to surprise him with this lovely tasty dish!
That 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!
I love that it turned locally tasty. Looks like a worth to try recipe. 🙂
We 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).
Lamb is eaten a lot here in Greece and this version looks very filling and tasty!
This looks incredible! So warming and perfect for the colder weather xxx
I love having a freezer clear out – you can make some of the most amazing meals such as your slow cooked lamb flappy bits!
oh wow this looks and sounds totally amazing I must try it myself
You had me at hello! I love lamb and that looks AMAZING. I know what I’m making for dinner tomorrow!
I 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
It 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.
Looks absolutely delicious and full of flavor!
I’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.
I’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!
What a decadent and delicious looking dish! Thanks so much for sharing this recipe!
I really getting into polenta lately – a lovely way to cook it.
Oh My! Lamb Casserole! Can’t wait to try this one! Yum!!
A fabulous recipe, but I’ll admit what’s really hooked me is that soup tureen!!
Beautiful photos!
I’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.
I 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!!
I 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!!
I love lamb, this recipe sounds and looks absolutely delicious 🙂
Ooh pairing it with polenta is interesting! I’ve seen a lot more dishes incorporate polenta into them these days and I love it!
This reminds me that I need to clear out my freezer. I absolutely love lamb x
I’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.
You reminded me, I need to clear out my freezer too. Your dish looks delightful especially the creamy herbed polenta.
The 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!
Seems easy enough! Thank you for the recipe. My mouth is watering haha!
ooh what a delicious looking recipe. I love lamb and we have it for christmas every year. This recipe loves awesome. Angela from Daysinbed
I can imagine the taste of the awesome flavours. What a great idea to purchase lamb to last you for sometimes.
your recipes look amazing, so hearty and traditional they always make me hungry lol! x
Oh wow this sounds like such a mouthwatering disk – I have to admit I do love a lamb casserole. x
I’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.
Now what I really want for dinner is flappy bits and creamy herbed polenta. WOW does that look good!
Love both the lamb and the polenta, two dishes I have not had for awhile. This sure looks lovely!!
That polenta sounds AMAZING! We are big time in to polenta at the moment and always looking for new ways to use it.
This would be a great dinner for Eater! So lovely. And I love that polenta you have here! Yum!
This 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.
I love polenta, it’s a lovely alternative to mash. I am jealous of your access to such delicious lamb. This is a lovely dish