Divine Lamb Stew

Well it's nearly the end of March, and we are well into spring; however, it turns out to be quite chilly tonight.  This is perfect for me because I have been craving lamb shanks or stew for a few weeks so lamb stew it is tonight.  

Now while Chris may no longer be in El Paso, he is now near College Station for a few days so I am not going to make an entire batch of stew.  I was unable to find a 1/2 lb of lamb stew meat and did not feel like driving to Central Market so I picked up the smallest package I could find.  Normally, I use 2 to 2-1/2 lbs of lamb meat, 3x the veggies, about 48-56oz of Kitchen Basics Beef Stock and 1-1/2 cup of red wine; however, I must improvise tonight.  Not to mention that when I do make my normal batch, we invite Jessica & Dennis over with the baby to demolish it with us.  I am well aware this is going to make more than 2 servings, but at least I will have leftovers for lunch.  Come to think of it, I can take some to Priscilla tomorrow plus I  really don't mind eating leftovers.

Ingredients:

3/4 lb lamb stew meat

1 large carrot, peeled, sliced & quartered

1/2 onion, quartered

2 large button mushrooms, stems removed & sliced

1/2 lb baby potatoes, halved

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 tsp fresh rosemary, chopped

1 tsp fresh thyme, chopped

2 fresh bay leaves

1 Tbs all-purpose flour

1/2 tsp kosher or sea salt, divided

1/4 tsp fresh cracked pepper

1 Tbs extra virgin olive oil

1.5 oz More Than Gourmet Glace D'Agneau Gold Classic Roasted Lamb Stock

1/2 cup red wine

Chopped parsley for garnish

Preparation:

Where to start.....first of all I did not realize I was out of beef stock here at the loft, but thankfully I had previously bought this More Than Gourmet Glace D'Agneau Gold Classic Roasted Lamb Stock.  (you can find this in the soup aisle at any grocery store.)

I am excited to see the difference it makes in my lamb stew.  In order to use this, the package states you need to mix 1 part stock to 20 parts of water so just use the same cup the stock is packaged in to measure out 20 parts.

I was excited to find these enormous button mushrooms so I only picked up 2.  I should have taken a picture of the very large carrot I found.  I am once again disappointed because HEB did not have any parsnips, and I LOVE parsnips in my lamb stew; it is such a wonderful contrast.

The lamb stew meat I purchased are always cut rather large so I cut them in half.  Combine the flour, 1/4 tsp salt & pepper and thoroughly toss into the lamb meat in order to coat each piece.  This will help thicken the stew as it cooks.

I have noticed lots of recipes call for bacon; but most of you that know me know that I am not crazy about bacon in my food or having that bacon flavor penetrating throughout it.  (For this simple reason, I always opt for my extra virgin olive oil instead.)  Heat oil over medium heat and brown meat on all sides to create a nice brown crust. (I can not stop stressing the importance of a good quality stainless steel pan like my Emerilware; it really DOES make a huge difference)

Remove meat from pan and set aside in a Dutch oven.  Add the onions and garlic to remaining oil and sauté for a few minutes.  Don't worry about the brown bits that may be stuck to the pan, this is good and you need this.

Add 1/2 cup water to pan to "deglaze" the pan (this will remove all the yummy brown bits).  Using a rubber spatula or wooden spoon, slowly move all the bottom of the pan to remove all the brown bits.  Add to Dutch oven.  Empty glaze container and using same container measure out 20 parts of water; add wine and simmer for 1-1/2 hrs.

I usually like to prep all my veggies & herbs & have them on a plate so I can just dump them into my pot or pan when I am cooking:

I am sure you are very well aware of dried bay leaves, but I tend to lean more towards the fresh bay leaves.  I needed them once for a recipe, and it took me forever to find the fresh!  I finally found them at Central Market:

I now use the fresh when I need bay leaves; I just double up on it.  I also need to mention that I am thankful for the built-in wine shelving we have in the loft above the fridge and the supply we have up there for when we have dinner parties.  I was completely out of my Sutter Homes mini Cabernet Sauvignon so I had to open one of our Rex Goliath wines (totally saved my stew).

I really hate opening an entire bottle to use so little so hopefully I will find something else to cook up this week to use the wine.  If you're like me and not into wine that much but need it for cooking, I strongly suggest getting the Sutter Homes wines.  They have a 4-pk of different varieties of their wine in small 187 ml bottles, and the lid screws back on so you don't have any waste.  You can find this also in any grocery store or liquor store.

After 1-1/2 hrs has passed, you will notice the liquid has reduced which I great because the flavors will be concentrated.  Add your carrots, mushrooms, potatoes (and parsnips if you can find them), thyme, rosemary, bay leaves and remaining 1/4 tsp salt.

Continue simmering for another 20 min or until your vegetables are cooked.  Pull out the bay leaves.  Personally I like my stew thick; if the stew doesn't get thick enough for my taste, I make a slurry out of cornstarch and water.  I use equal amounts of cornstarch and cold water (has to be cold); today I ended up using 1 tsp cornstarch and 1 tsp cold water and stirred until dissolved.  I then poured it into the stew and let it simmer and additional 5 min; the heat will activate the thickening agent in the cornstarch.

It came out perfect, and thick enough just like I like it.  You don't have to do the slurry, but I do it for the thickness of the sauce.  

Serve in bowls and top with chopped parsley.

You can serve this with plain white rice or a rice pilaf or even couscous.  I personally prefer a crusty bread or roll to go along with it which is perfect for getting all the thick, rich sauce. 

Let me tell you that the More Than Gourmet Glace D'Agneau Gold Classic Roasted Lamb Stock turned out to be a really great exchange for my usual beef stock.  It adds a huge depth of flavor that makes the stew SO much better. I am pleasantly surprised and very pleased with the outcome.

I hope you will give my recipe a try and hope that you enjoy it as much as my family does.  Remember if you ever have any questions or need recipe or meal ideas, please don't hesitate to comment and ask away. 

Until next time, Happy Eating!!