Braised Spring Lamb with Peas
6-8
servings
Main
Course
Print Recipe
Ingredients
Directions
Ingredients
2 tbsp
canola oil
3 lb
boneless lamb stew meat, preferably shoulder, cut into 1- to 11⁄2-inch cubes
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 md
yellow onions, thinly sliced
12 md
garlic cloves
8 sm
parsnips, split lengthwise
12 sm
carrots, split lengthwise
1 tbsp
dark brown sugar
1 c
dry vermouth
¼ c
grainy mustard
8 c
beef stock
1
bay leaf
1 c
shelled green peas
1 c
sugar snap peas, stemmed and halved crosswise
1 tbsp
red wine vinegar
In The Home Cook, author Alex Guarnaschelli provides 300 recipes that reflect the classic yet modern way we eat today.
The peas are barely cooked in this recipe while the lamb is cooked for hours. The result is meat with rich browned notes and peas that are almost raw and grassy. Lamb is definitely a sign of springtime, but it is rarely light. The red wine vinegar and mustard definitely add lightness here. The parsnips and other vegetables that cook along with the meat provide a wonderful group of backup singers.
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Brown the lamb: Heat a Dutch oven over high heat and add the oil. Season the pieces of lamb on all sides with salt and pepper. When the oil begins to smoke lightly, use a pair of metal tongs to arrange the lamb in a single layer in the Dutch oven. Brown the meat on all sides, 12 to 15 minutes. Transfer the meat to a medium bowl.
- Cook the vegetables: Stir the onions into the Dutch oven, and season them lightly with salt. Cook until tender, 3 to 5 minutes. Then stir in the garlic, parsnips, and carrots. Season with salt and add the brown sugar. Reduce the heat to medium and cook until the vegetables become slightly tender, 8 to 10 minutes.
- Braise the lamb: Add the vermouth to the vegetables, and simmer until all of the liquid evaporates, 5 to 8 minutes. Stir in the mustard, beef stock, and bay leaf. Return the lamb to the Dutch oven, cover it, and put it in the center of the oven. Braise until the meat is tender when pierced with the tip of a knife, 1 to 11⁄2 hours.
- Finish the stew: Remove the pot from the oven and use a large spoon to skim any excess fat or impurities from the surface of the stew. Remove and discard the bay leaf. Taste for seasoning. Stir in the peas, snap peas, and red wine vinegar. Allow it to rest for 15 minutes before serving.
Reprinted from The Home Cook. Copyright © 2017 by Alex Guarnaschelli. Photographs copyright © 2017 by Johnny Miller. Published by Clarkson Potter/Publishers, an imprint of Penguin Random House LLC.
