Vassolia

Pscylo's Note:

Thin Greek stew with lamb, tomato, runner beans, potato, red wine, almost a stewp if you like. Some like it thinner than others. Serve it with crusty bread. I cook it in a crockpot, but it can be done in a pressure cooker, in the oven, on the hob - very versatile.

• Total Time: 8 hrs 25 mins
• Prep Time: 25 mins
• Cook Time: 8 hrs

Ingredients:

Servings: 4

• 3 -5 tablespoons olive oil, to fry but be generous, it sounds a lot but adds to the flavour, it should be quite oily at the fryi
• 1 1/2 lbs runner beans, about a good fistful destrung and chopped into two inch lengths
• 1/2 leg of lamb, boned and cut into 1 1/2 to 2 inch cubes, works OK with breast of lamb as well
• 3 large potatoes, peeled and cut into 2 inch lumps
• 2 (400 g) cans tomatoes (I use a mix of one each of passata and tin) or 2 (500 g) passata (I use a mix of one each of passata and tin)
• 2 large onions, peeled and chopped finely
• 3 -5 garlic cloves, chopped finely to taste really, but at least 3 cloves
• 1 -2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 (250 ml) bottle red wine
• 1 pinch salt & pepper, to taste

Directions:

1. Fry onion in olive oil until soft, but not brown, add garlic, fry for a minute or two more until the onion just starts to take colour.
2. Add cubed lamb, fry to just seal the meat, you don't really need to brown it.
3. At this stage, the onion/garlic/olive oil/lamb mixture goes into a crockpot. The tomatoes are added - stir it all around. Add the beans, pototoes, oregano & red wine, try and make sure all is submerged.
4. Set the crockpot on low, leave for about 8 hours or so, serve hot with crusty bread.
5. It should be a thin stew, about the consistency of a slightly thick cream of tomato soup, with great big chunks of potato, lamb and beans (all fork tender) As you attack it with crusty bread it soon dries out beomes more stew like. It really is quite an intensely flavoured dish. If it's too think, jkust throw some more wine in toawrds the end of cooking.
6. If you do it in a pressure cooker, you have to add the potatoes/lamb/beans in intervals and it will end up thinner. On a stove or in the oven it's the same as the crockpot method really, just keep on a low heat on the stove, or about 150*C in the even (in something with a lid), probably won't need as long for the stove/oven.
7. drink rest of the wine with the meal ;).