This is a great stew. I've changed the more classic approach to making it where you cook everything together, I parboil the vegetables individually and bathe them in the broth towards the very end of the cooking time rather than trying to cook them in the stew. I find that the bright flavors of the vegetables are preserved better, they don't get so greasy and I don't find myself eating a piece of turnip saying "I should have tossed that in fifteen minutes later"
Works equally well in different seasons, the vegetables you toss in will vary. @Bert2368 , if you're still looking for what to do with venison shoulder, this should work great with that.
Find the vegetables
I always have pearl onions, fingerling potatoes, baby (tokyo) turnips, small young carrots and (absolutely!) asparagus for this. This can vary though, green beans, winter squash, frozen peas, parsnips any of that sort of thing can certainly make a guest appearance here. I'd even throw in the odd brussels sprouts under the right encouragement.
Make the stew
Get yourself 4 lbs of lamb shoulder, cut into 1 1/2" chunks. Try to cut off most of the hard fat. Salt and let them sit for a bit, then dry them and brown well in a little olive oil. I always do this in multiple batches in the dutch oven and a supplemental frying pan so they brown properly. Be patient with this step. Remove the lamb to a side plate.
Pour off excess fat from both pans. Deglaze the frying pan with a cup of white wine but just let it sit there for a minute.
Make a pretty fine mirepoix from an onion or two, a decent size carrot and two celery stalks, put it in the stew pot and let them take on a bit of color. Maybe add a little fresh olive oil if you need it. Add in 2 cloves garlic, a big teaspoon of sugar, let it cook a minute or so.
Stir in two tablespoons flour with the mirepoix, let it turn light beige. Add (while stirring to keep things smooth) the wine from the other pan, some tomato paste, a tablespoon of herbs de provence (or some mixed dried herbs) and 1 1/2 cups of stock, best you got. Add a little salt.
Back in with the lamb, bring it up to the barest of simmers, let it rip for an hour and a half. Maybe two hours.
Prepare the vegetables
Bring a pot or two of water to a boil and parboil all the vegetable separately. I'd opt to undercook most of them. Keep things as whole as possible, I serve this with full asparagus stalks, full carrots, unpeeled fingerlings, etc. The potatoes, make sure they're pretty done though. As each vegetable cooks, put it in a plate off to the side.
About 30 minutes before you're ready to serve, add the onions and the potatoes. Give them a ten minute head start then add the rest of the vegetables. Let them "bathe" in the broth for ten minutes or so, turn off the heat and let things come together.
I serve this on top of either egg noodles or cous cous. Pretty good dinner!
@ptolemy , I did your pot proud. Super happy with that purchase, thank you! @londreleats , this is what we had for dinner.
Works equally well in different seasons, the vegetables you toss in will vary. @Bert2368 , if you're still looking for what to do with venison shoulder, this should work great with that.
Find the vegetables
I always have pearl onions, fingerling potatoes, baby (tokyo) turnips, small young carrots and (absolutely!) asparagus for this. This can vary though, green beans, winter squash, frozen peas, parsnips any of that sort of thing can certainly make a guest appearance here. I'd even throw in the odd brussels sprouts under the right encouragement.
Make the stew
Get yourself 4 lbs of lamb shoulder, cut into 1 1/2" chunks. Try to cut off most of the hard fat. Salt and let them sit for a bit, then dry them and brown well in a little olive oil. I always do this in multiple batches in the dutch oven and a supplemental frying pan so they brown properly. Be patient with this step. Remove the lamb to a side plate.
Pour off excess fat from both pans. Deglaze the frying pan with a cup of white wine but just let it sit there for a minute.
Make a pretty fine mirepoix from an onion or two, a decent size carrot and two celery stalks, put it in the stew pot and let them take on a bit of color. Maybe add a little fresh olive oil if you need it. Add in 2 cloves garlic, a big teaspoon of sugar, let it cook a minute or so.
Stir in two tablespoons flour with the mirepoix, let it turn light beige. Add (while stirring to keep things smooth) the wine from the other pan, some tomato paste, a tablespoon of herbs de provence (or some mixed dried herbs) and 1 1/2 cups of stock, best you got. Add a little salt.
Back in with the lamb, bring it up to the barest of simmers, let it rip for an hour and a half. Maybe two hours.
Prepare the vegetables
Bring a pot or two of water to a boil and parboil all the vegetable separately. I'd opt to undercook most of them. Keep things as whole as possible, I serve this with full asparagus stalks, full carrots, unpeeled fingerlings, etc. The potatoes, make sure they're pretty done though. As each vegetable cooks, put it in a plate off to the side.
About 30 minutes before you're ready to serve, add the onions and the potatoes. Give them a ten minute head start then add the rest of the vegetables. Let them "bathe" in the broth for ten minutes or so, turn off the heat and let things come together.
I serve this on top of either egg noodles or cous cous. Pretty good dinner!
@ptolemy , I did your pot proud. Super happy with that purchase, thank you! @londreleats , this is what we had for dinner.
