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The main dish, French classic

Seven hour leg of lamb with flageolet beans

Seven hour leg of lamb is a French classic for 6 people, slow cooked in a Dutch oven until the meat falls off the bone. It needs 45 minutes of active work spread between morning and serving time, rated easy, at a cost of €8.00 per person. The key is keeping the lid tightly shut through the whole cooking time, so steam confits the meat instead of drying it out.

A seven hour leg of lamb you can carve with a spoon, with garlic and thyme flageolet beans, this is the dish for a big family table.

Seven hour leg of lamb with flageolet beans
For
6 people
Work
45 min
Total time
7 h 50
Prep
Prepared the same day
Difficulty
Easy
Cost per person
€8.00
Calories per person
650 kcalcalculated by Kiloach, your weight coach

Seven hour lamb is the kind of meat that shreds without a knife, slowly confited in its own juices with garlic and thyme until it turns completely tender. The long, low temperature cooking turns a firm cut into something soft and deeply flavored, a result you simply can't get from a quick roast. The flageolet beans, simmered in the lamb's own cooking juices, round out the plate without stealing the spotlight, just enough garlic and thyme to tie everything together.

This is the dish for big family tables, Sunday lunches and holiday gatherings, when you want to host without spending your whole afternoon at the stove. It slots easily into a simple menu, a light starter before and a classic dessert after, since the lamb already takes center stage on the table. Cooler seasons, fall, winter and spring, suit this kind of comforting dish perfectly.

The schedule

What happens when, so you can be with your guests instead of in the kitchen.

  1. The day before Nothing to do
  2. The same day 2 steps, 7 h
  3. Before the guests arrive 2 steps, 15 min
  4. When it's time to serve 1 step, 15 min

In the morning, you season and pierce the lamb, then let it cook for seven hours in a covered pot, leaving you free to do other things. Just before your guests arrive, you take the pot out, let it rest, and prepare the flageolet beans with the reserved juices. At serving time, 15 minutes back in the oven is all it takes to reheat everything and carve it right at the table.

The ingredients

6 people

Butcher

  • Leg of lamb with bone 2.5 kg

Fruits and vegetables

  • Garlic 2 cloves
  • Heads of garlic 2
  • Fresh thyme 1 bunch
  • Onions 3
  • Carrots 3

Pantry

  • Dry white wine 50 cl
  • Canned flageolet beansoften in the pantry 3
  • Olive oiloften in the pantry 3 tbsp
  • Saltoften in the pantry 1 pinch
  • Pepperoften in the pantry 1 pinch

The recipe, moment by moment

The same dayDuring the day, whenever you get a moment.

  1. Pierce the leg of lamb with halved garlic cloves, then rub it with salt, pepper, olive oil and thyme.

    Take the lamb out of the fridge an hour ahead, the long cooking starts more gently that way.

  2. Place the lamb in a Dutch oven with the onions and carrots in large chunks, the halved garlic heads and the white wine, then cover tightly. Bake at 120°C. 7 h

    If your lid doesn't seal well, cover with foil first, no steam should escape.

Before the guests arriveThe last hour, right before the doorbell rings.

  1. Take the pot out of the oven, let it rest covered, then collect the cooking juices, skim off the fat and keep warm.

    The lamb stays moist sitting in its warm juices for over an hour.

  2. Rinse the flageolet beans and simmer them in a saucepan with crushed garlic, thyme and two ladles of the cooking juices. 15 min

    The lamb juices flavor the beans far better than a plain broth would.

When it's time to serveThe final touches, right in front of your guests.

  1. Reheat the lamb for 15 minutes at 150°C in its juices, then bring it straight to the table with the flageolet beans. 15 min

    Carve with a spoon in front of your guests, the meat falls right off the bone.

Our tips to get it right

  • Pick a bone in leg rather than boneless, the bone adds flavor to the juices and helps keep the meat from drying out over seven hours.
  • Check that your lid seals well before it goes in the oven, it's really the trapped steam that confits the meat, not the oven temperature itself.
  • Skim the fat off the cooking juices thoroughly before using them for the beans, otherwise the dish turns heavy and the garlic and thyme get lost.

The variations

  • Swap the white wine for chicken broth if you want an alcohol free version, the juices stay flavorful thanks to the garlic and thyme.
  • For a quicker version, use a smaller 1.5 kilogram leg of lamb and cut the cooking time to five hours, checking that the meat stays moist.
  • Add soft cooked potatoes to the pot with the carrots and onions, they cook in the same juices and can replace part of the flageolet beans.

What to serve it with

  • A gratin dauphinois alongside the beans
  • A sharply dressed green salad before the main
  • A light red wine from southern France

Storage

The lamb and the flageolet beans keep 2 to 3 days in the refrigerator in a sealed container, ideally stored separately. The dish freezes well, meat and juices together, for up to 2 months. Reheat gently, covered, in the oven or in a saucepan, adding a splash of juice if needed.

Questions about this recipe

Can I use dried flageolet beans instead of canned?

Yes, but they need soaking and precooking, which adds extra time. Canned flageolet beans work just as well once simmered in the lamb's cooking juices.

How do I know when the lamb is cooked enough?

The meat should come away easily with just the pressure of a spoon, no effort needed. If it still resists, cover and cook for another thirty minutes.

Can this recipe be scaled up for more than 6 people?

Yes, use one or two legs of lamb depending on your guest count, the cooking time stays at seven hours as long as the pot seals well. Just add a bit more beans and juice so everyone gets enough.

Do I need to debone the lamb before carving?

No, the meat is so tender it falls off the bone on its own in front of your guests. That's actually the whole point of carving it with a spoon instead of a knife.

Can a seven hour leg of lamb with flageolet beans be made ahead?

Yes, during the day. The recipe needs 45 min of work in total, split up like this, the same day, 2 steps, before the guests arrive, 2 steps, when it's time to serve, 1 step.

How long does it take to make a seven hour leg of lamb with flageolet beans?

Allow 7 h 50 in total, including resting and cooking time, of which 45 min is actual work. The recipe is rated "easy".

How many calories are in a seven hour leg of lamb with flageolet beans?

About 650 kcal per person, for a recipe meant for 6 people. The calories are calculated by Kiloach, your kilo coach, the app that partners with Mon Chou.

How much does a seven hour leg of lamb with flageolet beans cost?

About €8.00 per person, that's €48.00 for 6 people, based on average supermarket prices.

What allergens does this recipe contain?

This recipe doesn't contain any of the major allergens tracked by Mon Chou. It's still a good idea to ask your guests about their allergies.

To round out your menu

Build a menu
Smoked salmon blinis The appetizer

French classic

Smoked salmon blinis

  • 35 min of work
  • Prepared the same day
  • Easy, €2.20 per person

150 kcalcalculated by Kiloach

Lemon meringue pie The dessert

French classic

Lemon meringue pie

  • 1 h 15 of work
  • Prepared the day before
  • Medium, €1.80 per person

510 kcalcalculated by Kiloach

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