Hearty Lamb Stew
Rustic, simple and hearty this lamb stew is the perfect one-pot comfort food for a cold winter’s night!
One of the great things about making any stew is how easy it is to add or replace ingredients depending on what you have on hand, and what you like.
For my lamb stew I’ve stuck with the tried and true, and used a combination of carrots, potatoes, onions, and celery, with some frozen peas tossed in just at the end. A selection of different root vegetables such as, parsnip, turnip or rutabaga are great alternatives. Or, maybe add in some mushrooms, always a welcome addition to any stew.
I like to let the lamb cook for a bit before I add in the carrot and potato. This way I end up with lamb that is melt in your mouth tender, and carrots and potatoes that are soft, but not mushy.
It’s delicious served with warm bread to soak up all the tasty goodness in the gravy.
Leftovers?
Lamb stew makes great leftovers, it can be kept refrigerated for 2-3 days, or frozen for 3-4 months.
It’s great reheated just as it is, or I like to turn any leftovers into a hearty shepherd’s pie with a creamy mashed potato topping.
Instead of mashed potatoes, this time I used purple top turnips from my farm share for the mashed topping and it was delicious!
Equipment
- Large skillet or Dutch oven
Ingredients
- 2 lbs lamb shoulder cut into one-inch cubes (or lamb stewing meat)
- 2-3 tbsp olive oil
- Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
- 2 cloves garlic sliced
- 1 onion coarsely chopped
- 1 stalk celery chopped
- 2 carrots peeled and cut into one- inch pieces
- ¼ cup tomato paste
- 2 tablespoons flour
- 1 cup dry red wine
- 3 cups low sodium beef stock
- 1 cup water
- 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1 bay leaf
- 2-3 sprigs fresh rosemary
- 8-10 small yellow potatoes halved, or quartered into one-inch pieces
- ¾ cup frozen peas
Instructions
- Season the lamb with salt and pepper. Heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in a large skillet or Dutch oven over medium high heat. Once the oil is hot, add the lamb in one layer and brown on all sides, about 10 minutes, working in batches if necessary. Transfer to a plate.
- Reduce the heat to medium. Add the garlic and onions and celery to the pot and cook, stirring occasionally, for another 2-3 minutes, adding more olive oil if needed. Next add the tomato paste and cook, stirring, until the tomato paste has darkened, about 2 minutes.
- Add the lamb back to the pan. Sprinkle with flour and stir to coat the meat evenly. Add the wine and stir until the mixture boils and thickens. Stir in the stock, and water.
- Add the bay leaf, and rosemary, cover and simmer for 1 hour.
- After the stew has cooked for an hour, add in the carrot, and potato. Taste and adjust seasoning.
- Cover and continue cooking for 30 -45 minutes, or until the vegetables are tender. Stir in the frozen peas and let cook for another 1-2 minutes. Remove the rosemary and bay leaf before serving.
- Serve with warm bread or biscuits on the side.