Autumn Lamb Stew

This is a recipe found online from the Timesonline website. I think Autumn is the time of year for stews and soups. I like making stews as once the cooking is done, you just leave it to simmer and you can get on with other tasks at home. It makes time for being productive, and at the end of it, you still get a lovely tasting meal!

Ingredients:
• 1.5kg lamb shoulder or leg, boned, and cut into 3cm cubes
• 2 tbsp plain flour
• 1 tbsp butter
• 4 tbsp olive oil
• 1 onion, halved and finely sliced
• 2 carrots, diced
• 3 celery stalks, finely sliced
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 200ml red wine
• 500g celeriac, peeled and diced into 3cm cubes
• 2tbsp tomato purée
• 400g canned chopped tomatoes
• 2 bay leaves
• Salt and pepper
• 500ml water or stock
• 2 tbsp finely chopped parsley

Method:
• Heat oven to 180°C/Gas 4. Toss diced up meat in the flour.
• Heat butter and 2 tbsp oil in a heatproof casserole dish or deep pan and brown the meat in batches.
• Remove the meat, add the remaining oil and cook the onion, carrots, celery and garlic for 5 minutes.
• Add the red wine and simmer for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• Return the lamb to the pan.
• Add the celeriac, tomato purée, tomatoes, bay leaves, salt and pepper, and the water or stock, and bring to the boil, stirring.
• If using caserole dish with lid, cover tightly. If using deep pan, transfer contents into an oven proof dish with a lid or alternatively using aluminium foil to cover tightly. Bake in the oven for 1 hour 45 minutes.
• Scatter with parsley and serve.