What should I cook in my new casserole dish?

It was a present! And I can't wait to use it

Question is what should I cook in it first? Found these on the BBC website... what do you reckon?

1) Slow-cooked lamb with onions & thyme



Five ingredients, one pot, no effort. This meltingly tender lamb dish is satisfyingly rich, and virtually cooks itself

Ingredients

• half a leg of lamb (about 1.25kg/2lb 12oz)
• 1kg onions (about 4 large ones)
• handful of thyme sprigs
• 300ml red wine
• large handful parsley

1. Firstly, prepare the lamb. Heat oven to 160C/fan140C/gas 3. Wipe the meat all over and season well. Heat 3 tbsp of olive oil in a large heavy flameproof casserole, add the meat and fry all over on a fairly high heat for about 8 mins, turning until it is evenly well browned. Remove to a plate.
2. Thinly slice the onions. Add to the pan and fry for about 10 mins, until softened and tinged with brown. Add a few of the thyme sprigs and cook for a further minute or so. Season with salt and pepper.
3. Sit the lamb on top of the onions, then add the wine. Cover tightly. Bake for 3 hrs. You can make to this stage up to 2 days in advance, then reheat for 45 mins.
4. To finish off, strip the leaves from 2 thyme sprigs and chop them with the parsley. Scatter over before serving

http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/1...ions-and-thyme

2) One-pot chicken chasseur



This French bistro classic is easy to make at home and fabulous with creamy mash or crusty bread

Ingredients

• 1 tsp olive oil
• 25g butter
• 4 chicken legs
• 1 onion , chopped
• 2 garlic cloves , crushed
• 200g pack small button or chestnut mushrooms
• 225ml red wine
• 2 tbsp tomato purée
• 2 thyme sprigs
• 500ml chicken stock

1. Heat the oil and half the butter in a large lidded casserole. Season the chicken, then fry for about 5 mins on each side until golden brown. Remove and set aside.
2. Melt the rest of the butter in the pan. Add the onion, then fry for about 5 mins until soft. Add garlic, cook for about 1 min, add the mushrooms, cook for 2 mins, then add the wine. Stir in the tomato purée, let the liquid bubble and reduce for about 5 mins, then stir in the thyme and pour over the stock. Slip the chicken back into the pan, then cover and simmer on a low heat for about 1 hr until the chicken is very tender.
3. Remove the chicken from the pan and keep warm. Rapidly boil down the sauce for 10 mins or so until it is syrupy and the flavour has concentrated. Put the chicken legs back into the sauce and serve.

http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/9...icken-chasseur

3) Beef bourguignon

This sumptuous, step-by-step recipe for slow-cooked stew from Gordon Ramsay makes a great winter supper



Ingredients

• 3 tsp goose fat
• 600g beef shin, cut into large chunks
• 100g smoked streaky bacon , sliced
• 350g shallots or pearl onions, peeled
• 250g chestnut mushrooms (about 20)
• 2 garlic clove , sliced
• 1 bouquet garni (See know-how below)
• 1 tbsp tomato purée
• 750ml bottle red wine , Burgundy is good

FOR THE CELERIAC MASH

• 600g (about 1) celeriac
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• rosemary and thyme sprigs
• 2 bay leaves
• 4 cardamom pod

1. Heat a large casserole pan and add 1 tbsp goose fat. Season the beef and fry until golden brown, about 3-5 mins, then turn over and fry the other side until the meat is browned all over, adding more fat if necessary. Do this in 2-3 batches, transferring the meat to a colander set over a bowl when browned.
2. In the same pan, fry the bacon, shallots or pearl onions, mushrooms, garlic and bouquet garni until lightly browned. Mix in the tomato purée and cook for a few mins, stirring into the mixture. This enriches the bourguignon and makes a great base for the stew. Then return the beef and any drained juices to the pan and stir through.
3. Pour over the wine and about 100ml water so the meat bobs up from the liquid, but isn't completely covered. Bring to the boil and use a spoon to scrape the caramelised cooking juices from the bottom of the pan - this will give the stew more flavour.
4. Heat oven to 150C/fan 130C/gas 2. Make a cartouche: tear off a square of foil slightly larger than the casserole, arrange it in the pan so it covers the top of the stew and trim away any excess foil. Then cook for 3 hrs. If the sauce looks watery, remove the beef and veg with a slotted spoon, and set aside. Cook the sauce over a high heat for a few mins until the sauce has thickened a little, then return the beef and vegetables to the pan.
5. To make the celeriac mash, peel the celeriac and cut into cubes. Heat the olive oil in a large frying pan. Tip in the celeriac and fry for 5 mins until it turns golden. Season well with salt and pepper. Stir in the rosemary, thyme, bay and cardamom pods, then pour over 200ml water, enough to nearly cover the celeriac. Turn the heat to low, partially cover the pan and leave to simmer for 25-30 mins.
6. After 25-30 mins, the celeriac should be soft and most of the water will have evaporated. Drain away any remaining water, then remove the herb sprigs, bay and cardamom pods. Lightly crush with a potato masher, then finish with a glug of olive oil and season to taste. Spoon the beef bourguignon into serving bowls and place a large spoonful of the celeriac mash on top. Garnish with one of the bay leaves, if you like.

TRY

• Make ahead - Try to make this dish a day in advance, then slowly reheat in the oven. You'll find that the flavours will really develop overnight and the dish will be richer and more mature.
  
• Beef shin - Beef shin is a great cut for slow-cooking. It's good value and the ripples of fat running through it ensure that it doesn't dry out. You could also use wild boar, which gives a really special flavour.
  
• Know how - Bouquet garni - To make a bouquet garni, use a piece of string to tie together a couple of rosemary, thyme and parsley sprigs and a handful of bay leaves. Remove from the pan at the end of cooking and discard.
  
• Tip - peeling onions - To peel shallots or pearl onions quickly, place in a bowl and pour over boiling water. Leave for a few minutes, then drain and the skins will slip off.

http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/5...ef-bourguignon


So whaddya reckon? I was actually thinking about trying them in that order (not all in one day tho LOL!).

Oooooo Lamb! Yes Azz Yes!

It does look lush doesn't it!?

A vote for lamb here too looks delicious

Oh yes!! My favourite meat, with mint sauce!

My only concern is all that red wine - 300 ml Will it be overpowering? I'm not much of a drinker so don't want it to just taste of red wine!

Alcohol in cooking burns off (evaporates) so you don't get drunk from eating a red wine casserole, you just get the taste, but be sure you like the taste if you are not a drinker! If you aren't, then a little amount of sherry is sweeter, adds body, and used in a lot of cooking.

Lamb shanks - if you can get them - would love the new casserole dish and long slow cooking.

Thanks for the tips MM! Silly question, but what is sherry made out of and how does it differ to red wine? (apart from being sweeter).

Ideally I'd like the most 'natural' ingredients.

I'd go for chicken (poor little Larry lamb). Sherry is fortified wine so has brandy in, I think.

They all look nice but the lamb looks great. I love cooking curries in my casserole dish. MMmmmmmmm
Let us know how it goes!