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Lamb Stew With Spring Vegetables
(Navarin Printanier)
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| What You Need: |
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½ cup vegetable oil
4 pounds boneless lean lamb, cut in 2-inch chunks
3 tablespoons flour
1 teaspoon dried thyme, crumbled
1 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground black pepper
¼ cup finely chopped shallots or scallions
1 teaspoon finely chopped garlic
3 cups beef stock, fresh or canned
1 cup peeled, seeded and coarsely chopped fresh tomatoes
Bouquet garni made of 4 parsley sprigs, white part of 1 leek, and 1 bay leaf, tied together
VEGETABLE GARNISH
6 tablespoons butter
12 to 16 peeled white onions, about 1 inch in diameter
6 to 8 carrots, peeled and cut in 2-inch cylinders or olive shapes
6 medium white turnips, peeled and cut in quarters
12 to 16 small new potatoes, peeled
2 quarts water
1 pound fresh green peas, shelled (about 1 cup) or 1 ten-ounce package defrosted frozen peas
½ pound fresh green beans, cut in 1-inch lengths (about 1½ cups), or 1 ten-ounce package defrosted frozen cut beans
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley
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| How To Cook: |
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1. Preheat the oven to 500°F. In a heavy 10- to 12-inch skillet heat 2 tablespoons of oil almost to the smoking point. Brown the lamb, 4 or 5 chunks at a time, adding more oil as needed. When the chunks are a rich brown on all sides, remove them with tongs to a Dutch oven or a heavy 6- to 8-quart flameproof casserole. Pour off almost all the fat from the skillet and set it aside.
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2. Sprinkle the browned lamb with flour, thyme, salt and a few grindings of pepper, tossing the meat to coat it as evenly as possible. Place the casserole, uncovered, in the upper third of the oven, and cook the lamb, turning it every few minutes, for 8 to 10 minutes, or until the chunks are slightly crusted and there is no trace of gummy flour. Remove the casserole from the oven and set aside. Reduce the oven heat to 325°F.
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3. In the fat remaining in the skillet, cook the shallots and garlic over moderately low heat for about 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Pour in the beef stock and bring to a boil, stirring constantly and scraping in any brown bits that cling to the bottom and sides of the pan. Add the tomatoes and stir once more, then pour the sauce over the lamb, mixing gently with a spoon. Add the bouquet garni, bring the casserole to a boil on top of the stove, cover it tightly, and place it on the middle shelf of the oven to simmer for 45 minutes, or until the lamb is nearly tender when pierced with the tip of a sharp knife.
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4. VEGETABLE GARNISH: Meanwhile, in a heavy 10- to 12-inch skillet, melt 6 tablespoons of butter. When the foam subsides, add the onions, carrots, turnips and potatoes, and cook them over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, for 7 to 8 minutes, or until they are coated with butter and lightly browned. Set them aside. Bring the water to a bubbling boil in a 3- to 4-quart saucepan, add the fresh peas and beans, and boil them briskly uncovered for about 10 minutes, or until the beans are barely tender. Immediately drain them in a sieve and plunge the sieve into cold water for a minute or so. Set them aside. If you are substituting defrosted frozen peas, it is not necessary to cook them; they will be heated through and briefly cooked later. Defrosted frozen beans, on the other hand, should be simmered in a little water for 3 to 4 minutes.
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5. After the lamb has cooked for 45 minutes, strain the entire contents of the casserole through a large fine sieve into a mixing bowl. While the braising liquid or sauce is draining, wash the casserole and spread the onions, car. rots, turnips and potatoes in the bottom. With tongs, pick the pieces of lamb out of the sieve, and arrange them over the vegetables. Skim off the fat and taste the sauce for seasoning; then pour it over the meat and vegetables in the casserole. Bring to a boil on top of the stove, cover tightly, and return to the oven for another 20 minutes. Gently stir in the peas and green beans and cook for about 10 minutes longer, or until the lamb and vegetables are tender.
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6. Serve the navarin directly from the casserole, garnished with chopped parsley. For a more formal dinner, mound the lamb in the center of a large, deep, heated platter and surround it with vegetables; moisten everything well with sauce and garnish the meat with parsley. Pour the rest of the sauce into a warm sauceboat and serve it separately.
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