Spring Lamb Stew Recipes

TRADITIONAL LAMB STEW

Steps:

• In a Dutch oven, brown meat in 1 tablespoon oil over medium heat until meat is no longer pink. Remove with a slotted spoon; set aside. Add the onions, carrots and remaining oil to pan. Cook for 5 minutes or until onions are tender, stirring occasionally. Add the potatoes, broth, salt, pepper and lamb; bring to a boil. , Remove from the heat. Cover and bake at 350° for 50-60 minutes or until meat and vegetables are tender., With a slotted spoon, remove meat and vegetables to a large bowl; set aside and keep warm. Pour pan juices into another bowl; set aside. , In the Dutch oven, melt butter over medium heat. Stir in flour until smooth. Gradually whisk in pan juices. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Stir in the parsley, chives, thyme, and meat and vegetables; heat through.

SPRING LAMB STEW

Steps:

• For me, small carrots and parsnips symbolize the beginning of the spring season. This stew recipe celebrates that for me.
• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Heat a Dutch oven over high heat and add the oil. Season the pieces of lamb on all sides with salt and pepper. When the oil begins to smoke lightly, use a pair of metal tongs to arrange the lamb, in a single layer, in the hot oil. Brown the meat on all sides. Remove the meat and transfer it to a medium bowl. Stir in the onions, garlic, and brown sugar. Season with salt and pepper, to taste, and cook for 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in the parsnips and carrots and cook until they become slightly tender, about 5 minutes.
• Add the vermouth, bay leaves, mustard, browned meat, lamb bones, and stock. Stir to combine and put the pot in the center of the oven, uncovered. Cook until the meat is tender when pierced with the tip of a knife, about 1 to 1 1/2 hours.
• Just before serving, put a large cast iron pan over medium-high heat and coat it with olive oil. Once heated, add the remaining garlic cloves and the sliced bread and toast on both sides. Remove the toast from the pan and set aside.
• Remove the stew from the oven and use a large spoon to skim any excess fat or impurities form the surface of the sauce and remove the bones. Taste for seasoning. Stir in the mustard greens and peas, if desired. Serve immediately with toast.

LAMB STEW WITH SPRING VEGETABLES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Heat the canola oil in a medium (10- to 11-inch) ovenproof pot or Dutch oven, such as Le Creuset, over medium heat. Add the bacon and cook for 5 minutes, until browned. Transfer the bacon to a large plate, leaving the fat in the pan. Dry the lamb with paper towels and toss it in a bowl first with 1 tablespoon salt and 1 teaspoon pepper, and then with the 1/4 cup of flour. Raise the heat to medium high and cook half the lamb in the bacon fat for 5 minutes, turning occasionally, until browned. Add the lamb to the plate with the bacon and brown the second batch, also transferring it to the plate. Add the garlic to the pot and cook for one minute.
• Pour the lamb and bacon, along with any juices that collect, back into the pot. Add the beef stock, wine, tomatoes (including the juice), thyme, rosemary, 2 teaspoons salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper and bring to a boil, scraping up the brown bits in the pot. Simmer for 5 minutes, cover, and place in the oven for 30 minutes. Add the carrots, potatoes, onions, and turnips, cover, and return to the oven for 1 hour, until all the vegetables are tender.
• Mash the 2 tablespoons of flour with the butter in a small bowl. Stir the mixture into the stew, and simmer on top of the stove for 3 minutes. Off the heat, stir in the peas and parsley, season to taste, and serve hot in large shallow bowls.

SPRING LAMB STEW

Steps:

• For me, small carrots and parsnips symbolize the beginning of the spring season. This stew recipe celebrates that for me.
• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
• Heat a Dutch oven over high heat and add the oil. Season the pieces of lamb on all sides with salt and pepper, to taste. When the oil begins to smoke lightly, use a pair of metal tongs to arrange the lamb, in a single layer, in the hot oil. Brown the meat on all sides. Remove the meat to a medium bowl. Stir in the onions and season them lightly with salt. Cook until tender, 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in the garlic, parsnips and carrots. Season with salt, to taste, and add the brown sugar. Cook until the vegetables become slightly tender, 8 to 10 minutes.
• Add the vermouth and cook until all of the liquid cooks out, an additional 5 to 8 minutes. Stir in the mustard, beef stock and add the bay leaves. Add the lamb back into the pot, then cover and put it in the center of the oven. Cook until the meat is tender when pierced with the tip of a knife, 1 to 1 1/2 hours. Remove the stew from the oven and use a large spoon to skim any excess fat or impurities form the surface of the sauce. Taste for seasoning and remove the bay leaves. Stir in the peas. Allow it to "rest" for 15 minutes before serving. Stir in the mustard greens and transfer to a serving bowl. Serve immediately.

LAMB STEW WITH SPRING VEGETABLES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Heat the canola oil in a medium (10- to 11-inch) ovenproof pot or Dutch oven, such as Le Creuset, over medium heat. Add the bacon and cook for 5 minutes, until browned. Transfer the bacon to a large plate, leaving the fat in the pan. Dry the lamb with paper towels and toss it in a bowl first with 1 tablespoon salt and 1 teaspoon pepper and then with the 1/4 cup of flour. Raise the heat to medium high and cook half the lamb in the bacon fat for 5 minutes, turning occasionally, until browned. Add the lamb to the plate with the bacon and brown the second batch, also transferring it to the plate. Add the garlic to the pot and cook for one minute.
• Pour the lamb and bacon, along with any juices that collect, back into the pot. Add the beef stock, wine, tomatoes (including the juice), thyme, rosemary, 2 teaspoons salt and 1 teaspoon pepper and bring to a boil, scraping up the brown bits in the pot. Simmer for 5 minutes, cover and place in the oven for 30 minutes. Add the carrots, potatoes, onions and turnips, cover and return to the oven for 1 hour, until all the vegetables are tender.
• Mash the 2 tablespoons of flour with the butter in a small bowl. Stir the mixture into the stew and simmer on top of the stove for 3 minutes. Off the heat, stir in the peas and parsley, season to taste and serve hot in large shallow bowls.

SPRING LAMB AND CHICKPEA STEW

Steps:

• Place chickpeas in a large soup pot. Season lamb pieces generously with salt and pepper, then add to pot. Stick the 4 cloves into the onion halves, and add them to the pot along with 6 cups water.
• Bring pot to a boil over high heat, then reduce heat to a steady simmer. Put on the lid and simmer until lamb is tender, about 1 1/2 hours. Turn off heat. Skim off any rising fat. (At this point, you may set the dish aside at room temperature for up to 2 hours before serving, or refrigerate up to 2 days, though it really tastes best the day it is made.)
• When ready to serve, reheat lamb and chickpeas in broth. Put olive oil in a wide skillet over medium heat and add leeks. Cook, stirring, until softened, about 2 minutes. Add garlic and sizzle for a minute, add red pepper flakes, then add carrots and a ladle of the lamb broth. Simmer until carrots are done, about 5 minutes. Add the chard, a little salt and another splash of lamb broth. Turn heat to high and cook, stirring, until leaves are tender, a few minutes more. Add fava beans or peas, cover the pan, and turn off heat. They will cook nicely in the residual heat for 4 or 5 minutes.
• To serve, mound greens and vegetables on one side of a large serving platter. On the other side, place lamb pieces and ladle over some broth and chickpeas. Sprinkle with chopped mint.

SPRING LAMB STEW

Steps:

• Melt butter in heavy large Dutch oven over high heat. Season lamb with salt and pepper. Add lamb to pot and sauté until brown, about 5 minutes. Add flour and stir 2 minutes. Add onions, potatoes, carrots, bay leaves and thyme and stir 2 minutes. Add broth and bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover and simmer until lamb and vegetables are almost tender, about 1 hour.
• Uncover stew and simmer until gravy thickens and lamb and vegetables are very tender, about 15 minutes longer. Add parsley. Season stew to taste with salt and pepper.