Serves: 8
Complex and flavorful, a hearty and versatile meal for any season. Add or substitute other vegetables depending on preference or availability.
Ingredients
- 1 pound lamb stew meat
- ¼ cup flour
- salt and pepper, to taste
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 medium onions, chopped
- 1 ½ pounds carrots, cut into chunks
- 2 fennel bulbs, cored and sliced
- 2 pounds gold flesh potatoes, cut into bite sized chunks
- 3 cups of chopped tomatoes and juice (fresh or canned)
- 3½ cups chicken stock (OK to substitute vegetable stock)
- cumin, to taste
- handful parsley/cilantro/tarragon (depending on personal preference), chopped
Farmers To You Ingredients:
- lamb stew meat, flour, onions, carrots, fennel, potatoes, tomatoes, roasted vegetable or chicken soup stock, parsley/cilantro/tarragon
Other Fresh and Pantry Ingredients:
- salt, pepper, cumin
Instructions
- Cut lamb into small, bite sized chunks. Place in plastic bag and sprinkle liberally with salt and pepper and ¼ cup flour. Shake until completely coated.
- Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Add meat in 2 batches, cooking until browned. Remove meat from pan and set aside.
- Chop onions and cook slowly in Dutch oven on stove top (add a bit of oil if necessary). Meanwhile, wash and cut carrots, on a diagonal, into medium sized chunks. Add to onions and continue cooking with ¼ to ½ cup of water.
- Cut tops off fennel and remove lower core using the tip of your knife. Cut the fennel into quarters, cutting each again into smaller pieces. Add to onions and carrots.
- Now wash and chop potatoes into bite sized chunks. Add to vegetables along with chopped tomatoes. Cook, covered, over medium heat for approximately 15 minutes or until just tender. Remove from pan and set aside.
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
- Return lamb to Dutch oven. Add stock, a couple of teaspoons of cumin and a bit of tomato juice and heat until boiling. Cover and place in oven. Cook for 1½ hours, stirring occasionally. The lamb will become tender and the broth will cook down.
- Remove lamb from oven and add vegetable mixture. Return to oven and cook for another 30 – 45 minutes.
- Season with salt and pepper and herbs of choice. Delicious alone or served on a bed or rice.
- Note: The trick with stew is to time the cooking of the vegetables so that they don’t get mushy but instead are perfectly done. Remember, like soups, a good stew improves with age and will taste even better the second night!