Spring lamb stew pt 1

6 servings

Ingredients

Quantity Ingredient
1½ pounds Boneless lamb shoulder
2 Garlic cloves
1 pounds Baby onions
2 tablespoons Vegetable oil
2 tablespoons All-purpose flour
1 tablespoon Tomato paste
1 Bouquet garni; see *
2 cups Veal stock; more if needed
¾ pounds Tomatoes
½ pounds Baby carrots or medium carrots
½ pounds Turnips
½ pounds Green beans
1½ pounds Sm. new potatoes
1 small Bunc parsley
1 cup Fresh or frozen peas
Salt and pepper
* bouquet garni made with 5-6 parsley; 2-3 sprigs of fresh
; stems, thyme, and 1 bay
; leaf

Directions

How to Prepare and Simmer the Lamb: 1. Using the boning knife, trim any fat and sinew from the lamb, then cut the lamb into 1 to 1-½ inch cubes.

2. Set the flat side of the chef's knife on top of each garlic clove and strike it with your fist. Discard the skin and finely chop the cloves, moving the knife blade back and forth.

3. Put the baby onions into a bowl, pour over boiling water to cover, and let stand, 2 minutes. Drain the onions, then peel them, leaving a little of the root to hold them together. Heat the oil in the casserole. Add the onions and cook, stirring occa sionally, until golden, 5 to 7 minutes.

Remove with the slotted spoon and set aside.

4. Season the lamb cubes with salt and pepper, and add to the casserole, in batches if necessary. Cook over high heat, stirring occasionally, until evenly browned, 3 to 5 minutes. With the slotted spoon, transfer the lamb to a bowl.

5. Return all the cooked lamb to the pan, sprinkle with the flour, then stir to mix. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the flour is browned, 2 to 3 minutes.

6. Let the casserole cool slightly, then stir in the tomato paste, chopped garlic, and bouquet garni. Pour in enough stock to just cover the meat, stir to mix, and bring to a boil. Cover, and simmer, 1 hour.

Meanwhile, prepare the vegetables.

How to Prepare the Vegetables:

1. Core the tomatoes and score an "x" on the base of each one. Immerse the tomatoes in boiling water until the skins start to split, 8 to 15 seconds depending on their ripeness. Using the slotted spoon, transfer the tomatoes at once to a bowl of cold water.

2. When cool, peel the skins off the tomatoes. Cut the tomatoes crosswise in half, squeeze out the seeds, then coarsely chop each tomato half.

3. If the baby carrots have green tops, trim them, leaving a little of the green, then scrape to remove the thin skin. If using medium carrots, peel them, then quarter lengthwise.

4. With the vegetable peeler, peel the turnips. Cut them into quarters or 6 or 8 wedges, depending on their size and trim off the sharp edges with the small knife.

5. With your finger, snap the ends off the green beans. Cut the beans into 1-inch pieces.

6. Peel the potatoes with the small knife and put them into a bowl of cold water to prevent discoloration. 7. Strip the parsley leaves from the stems, pile the leaves on the chopping board, and finely chop them.

How to Finish the Stew:

1. With the slotted spoon, transfer the meat to a large bowl, then skim the fat from the sauce. Strain the sauce over the meat, then return the meat and sauce to the casserole. Taste the sauce for seasoning.

2. Drain the potatoes and add to the casserole with the turnips, onions, tomatoes, and carrots. Pour in stock to almost cover the meat and vegetables. Cover, and simmer, 20 to 25 minutes.

3. Add the peas and green beans and simmer until the lamb and vegetables continued in part 2

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