Lamb hotpot with merguez and butter beans

Method

1. Heat the olive oil in a large casserole (one with a lid) over a medium heat. Add the lamb mince in chunks and cook until they get a good golden crust before breaking them up with a wooden spoon. Once browned all over, remove the mince from the pan and set aside. Add the merguez sausages to the same pan and cook until browned all over – they’ll release a lot of bright red fat. Set the sausages aside with the lamb mince, then pour off all but 2 tbsp of the fat in the dish.

2. Return the dish to the heat and add the onions, celery and carrot. Cook for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until just starting to caramelise. Add the garlic, chilli and ras el hanout, cook for 2 minutes, then pour in the tomatoes, stock and beans. Stir well, season generously, then leave to simmer over a low heat for 40 minutes until thickened.

3. Heat the oven to 200°C/180°C fan/gas 6. Rinse the sliced potatoes in running water, then drain and pat dry with kitchen paper. Put them in a big bowl, add the melted butter and plenty of salt and pepper, then toss to coat.

4. If you’ve made the ragù in advance, gently reheat it before putting it in the cast iron dish/pie dish. Lay the potatoes on top – I like to keep it simple, overlapping them in lines like fish scales. You should have enough potatoes for 2 layers. Once finished, season with a little more salt, then bake for 40 minutes until golden on top.

5. Meanwhile, blanch the cavolo nero and cabbage in boiling salted water for 2 minutes, then drain and refresh in iced water. When the hotpot is nearly ready to serve, gently reheat the greens in a frying pan with the 60g butter and season with plenty of salt and pepper. Serve the hotpot with the greens, a dollop of yogurt on the side and a sprinkling of fresh mint.