Summer Lamb Stew Recipes

SPANISH LAMB STEW

Steps:

• Pre-heat your oven to 325F.
• Heat the oil in a dutch oven large enough to hold all the ingredients.
• Season the lamb generously with salt and pepper.
• Working in batches to avoid overcrowding the pan, brown the lamb. You don't want to go crazy here. Just a golden brown. Regulate your heat carefully.
• Remove the lamb from the pot and spoon off all but about 2 Tbsp of fat.
• Add the onions and red peppers and cook until the onions are soft and translucent, about 4-5 minutes.
• Stir in the garlic, paprika and about a tsp of salt. Cook for an additional 1-2 minutes, stirring every few seconds.
• Add the tomatoes, stock, white wine and vinegar. Return the lamb and any accumulated juices to the pot and bring to a simmer.
• Cover and place in the pre-heated oven. Cook for about 75 minutes.
• Add the white kidney beans and return to the oven. Cover and cook another 30 minutes.
• After 30 minutes, check the lamb. If it isn't yet tender, cook another 15-20 minutes.
• Remove from oven and check the liquid level. You want some broth. Add a bit if it needs it.
• Adjust the salt. Do this in stages. It's easy to add salt. Hard to remove it. Add a bit. Stir. Taste. Keep going until you get it right.
• Serve with crusty bread or nothing at all.

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.

SUMMER LAMB STEW

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350.
• Place lamb in a large (6-quart or more) ovenproof casserole or Dutch oven and add onion, bell pepper, potatoes, tomatoes, green onion, garlic, dill, paprika, salt, and black pepper.
• Pour on olive oil and then the water.
• Cover and bake 2 1/2 hours.
• Scatter squash and green beans on top of other ingredients and add a little more water (about half a cup) if the stew looks dry.
• Bake 30 minutes longer.
• Remove casserole from oven, leaving oven turned on if serving stew the same night.
• Pour off (or tilt casserole and spoon off) most of the liquid into a bowl. To liquid add lemon juice, tasting carefully and correcting seasonings.
• To serve the same night, spoon off all visible fat from liquid or, better yet, place bowl in freezer until fat congeals on top (about 20 minutes).
• To serve the next day, refrigerate liquid separately from remaining ingredients. Remove and discard fat from top of liquid.
• Whichever technique is used, before serving pour remaining degreased liquid back into casserole.
• Cover casserole and reheat in oven until liquid is bubbling slightly (about 20 minutes if chilled, 5 minutes if unchilled).
• Serve in large soup bowls with French bread on the side or on large plates over a bed of Pilaf. For a thicker, creamy sauce, stir 3/4 cup yogurt into liquid just before reheating.

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.