This savory winter casserole braises lamb cubes with shallots and tomato paste in an earthenware pot, then adds large cubes of pumpkin during the final quarter of cooking. If added with the meat, the pumpkin would fall apart during the long bake and blend into the sauce; added later, the cubes keep their shape while absorbing the meat juices on the bottom. Turkish red pepper flakes and thyme balance the sweetness, with no added sugar.
Cut the lamb into 3 cm cubes and toss with half the salt and the black pepper. Peel the shallots and leave them whole; finely chop the garlic.
Melt 30 g of the butter in a wide skillet. Brown the lamb over high heat until its liquid evaporates and the edges are browned.
Add the shallots and garlic and cook, stirring, for 4 minutes until the shallots look glossy. Add the tomato paste and stir until its raw smell fades. Add the Turkish red pepper flakes, thyme, remaining salt, and water, then bring to a boil.
Transfer the mixture to the earthenware casserole and cover it. Put the casserole on the middle rack of a cold oven, set the oven to 190°C / 375°F, and cook for 70 minutes. At this point, the lamb should still offer slight resistance to a fork; it will finish cooking along with the pumpkin.
While the lamb cooks, peel the pumpkin and scrape out the seeds with a spoon, then cut it into large 4 cm cubes. Toss the cubes with the remaining melted butter.
Remove the casserole from the oven and arrange the pumpkin cubes in a single layer over the lamb; do not stir. Leave the lid off and cook for 25 minutes more. The casserole is ready when a fork slides into the pumpkin and its edges are lightly browned, and the lamb separates easily.
Set the casserole on a dry wooden trivet and let it rest for 5 minutes. Spoon lamb and pumpkin onto each plate without breaking the pumpkin cubes.
Do not cut the pumpkin smaller than 4 cm or stir it after adding it to the casserole; smaller cubes and spooning will break it down into the sauce. Allergen: Contains milk and dairy based on the ingredient list. Check packaged ingredient labels for other allergens.
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