Italian Lamb Casserole - cooking recipe

Ingredients

2 large onions
2 garlic cloves
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 kg potato
2 (400 g) can chopped tomatoes with juice
2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried thyme (optional) or 2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves (optional)
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons sugar
1 kg shoulder lamb chop
1/4 cup plain flour
pepper
1/4 cup chopped parsley and basil leaves (don't chop until just before serving)

Preparation

Turn a large oval slow cooker to HIGH (for 4 hours cooking) or LOW (for 8 hours cooking).
Peel and cut the onions into 15mm cubes.
Peel and chop the garlic finely, then put with the onion in a large non-stick fry pan with just enough olive oil to stop them from sticking and brown over medium heat until evenly coloured.
Tip the onion and garlic mixture into the slow cooker.
Peel then cut potatoes in quarters. Put the potatoes cut side down, on the onion and garlic mixture in the pan.
Spoon the chopped tomatoes and juice from 1 can evenly over the potato layer. Sprinkle with the dried oregano, and the thyme if using, and half the salt and sugar.
Either cook the lamb chops as they are or cut them in half, or cut into small pieces.
Put the flour on a shallow plate. Turn a few pieces of meat at a time in the flour, then brown on each side in a little more olive oil in a hot frypan. Put the browned lamb on top of the potatoes.
Spoon the tomatoes and liquid from the second can over the lamb, then sprinkle with the remaining salt and sugar and some pepper to taste.
Cover and cook on HIGH (for 4 hours) or LOW (for 8 hours). Just before serving, chop the fresh herbs and stir them through the mixture. If the chops are whole or in large pieces it is easier to remove them with tongs so you can stir through the herbs.
To serve, spoon the tomato mixture over the meat and potatoes. Serve with a green vegetable.