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Lamb Stew Recipe

Prep Time30 minutes
Cook Time5 hours
Total Time5 hours 30 minutes
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Irish
Servings: 6 - 8 persons

Ingredients

  • 2 pounds lamb shoulder meat trimmed of fat and cut into 1½ inch cubes
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • flour for dredging
  • 2 medium onions roughly chopped
  • cups lamb stock chicken stock if you can't find lamb stock
  • 2 carrots peeled and sliced
  • pound of mushrooms
  • 2 sprigs fresh thyme dried will work too
  • 2 tablespoons fresh parsley minced

Instructions

  • Season the meat with salt and pepper and dredge in flour. Be sure to shake off any excess flour. If you don't, the flour can burn, making a mess on the bottom of the pan. Just a light dusting is fine.
  • Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a preheated fry pan over medium-high heat. Add the meat and brown all sides when it starts to shimmer but is not smoking. Don't let the meat touch, so if your pan isn't big enough, brown it in batches. The best tool for turning the meat is a pair of kitchen tongs, one of the essential tools in your kitchen. When the meat is browned, transfer it to the crock pot.
  • Saute the onions in the same pan. Reduce the heat to medium, add the remaining tablespoon of oil, and then the onions. This is a good time to season with a bit of salt but not too much. Cook the onions until deep golden brown, frequently stirring so they don't burn.
  • Add ½ cup stock to deglaze the pan, scraping the bottom with a wooden spoon to loosen any brown bits (fond) stuck to the bottom. Add the fresh thyme. Add the onions and the deglazing liquid to the crock pot.
  • Add the sliced carrots and mushrooms to the crock pot along with the remaining 2 cups of stock, cover and set to low.
    I have read it helps to first place a layer of aluminum foil over the top of the crock pot and then the cover. Not sure if this helps but sometimes I make the effort.
  • Cook on the low setting for about 5 hours or until the meat is tender.
  • Many recipes I read say to spoon off any fat that accumulates at the top. I have never found this easy to do, but I know it is worth a try. Sometimes I make a stew the day before, so I can let the fat rise to the top and congeal when refrigerated. Then all I have to do is spoon out the layer of congealed fat. Enough about fat.
  • Add the parsley to the pot, stir and adjust seasonings with salt and pepper.
  • If the sauce is too thin, you can always make a quick thickener with a bit of flour or cornstarch mixed with water (a slurry) and add it to the pot. The only problem with this is that if you don't bring the starch up to a boil, your sauce can taste a little, well, starchy. So, if you have to thicken the sauce, you might have to turn the crock pot to high for a little while to cook off any starchy taste.