| Level: | Easy |
| Total: | 2 hr 25 min |
| Prep: | 40 min |
| Cook: | 1 hr 45 min |
| Yield: | 6 to 8 servings |
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons canola oil
- 5 pounds boneless lamb stew meat, cut into 1 to 1 1/2-inch cubes, preferably from the shoulder, plus bones
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 2 medium yellow onions, peeled, halved and cut into 1/2-inch thick slices
- 12 cloves garlic, peeled, plus 2 for toasting, divided
- 1 tablespoon dark brown sugar
- 12 small parsnips, washed and thoroughly peeled
- 12 small carrots, washed and thoroughly peeled
- 1 cup dry vermouth
- 2 bay leaves
- 1/4 cup smooth Dijon mustard
- 2 quarts beef or lamb stock
- Olive oil, for toasting
- 1 baguette, sliced
- 2 cups curly mustard greens, washed, dried and torn into bite-size pieces, optional
- 1 cup shelled peas, optional
Instructions
- For me, small carrots and parsnips symbolize the beginning of the spring season. This stew recipe celebrates that for me.
- Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. 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 hot oil. Brown the meat on all sides. Remove the meat and transfer it to a medium bowl. Stir in the onions, garlic, and brown sugar. Season with salt and pepper, to taste, and cook for 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in the parsnips and carrots and cook until they become slightly tender, about 5 minutes.
- Add the vermouth, bay leaves, mustard, browned meat, lamb bones, and stock. Stir to combine and put the pot in the center of the oven, uncovered. Cook until the meat is tender when pierced with the tip of a knife, about 1 to 1 1/2 hours.
- Just before serving, put a large cast iron pan over medium-high heat and coat it with olive oil. Once heated, add the remaining garlic cloves and the sliced bread and toast on both sides. Remove the toast from the pan and set aside.
- Remove the stew from the oven and use a large spoon to skim any excess fat or impurities form the surface of the sauce and remove the bones. Taste for seasoning. Stir in the mustard greens and peas, if desired. Serve immediately with toast.
Nutrition Facts
| Serving Size | 1 of 8 servings |
| Calories | 1308 |
| Total Fat | 85 g |
| Saturated Fat | 31 g |
| Carbohydrates | 72 g |
| Dietary Fiber | 14 g |
| Sugar | 19 g |
| Protein | 61 g |
| Cholesterol | 207 mg |
| Sodium | 2155 mg |
Reviews
Ridiculously good!! I made 2/5 of this recipe and gauged taste based on how I felt things were going during the cooking process and this turned out wonderfully! I love that the seasonings didn’t overpower the taste of the lamb. Next time I’ll add the greens! BRAVO!
This was an excellent meal for our gale winds, artic blast day here in Rhode Island . Thank you Alex
Made this tonight! Whew Alex, thank you. It’s so good. I love the broth. I had never had parsnips before, but I found that I like them. I didn’t add the greens. I braised them by themselves. Good eating!
I love this stew I’ve made it twice and will make again tomorrow, great flavors!!
So easy and delicious!! Just loved the flavor of the juices. Will definitely make again. Thanks Alex
This was Easter dinner 2013 and it was delicious. I didn’t deviate from the recipe at all and we especially loved the mustard greens in the stew. The mustard flavor really came through and added a nice counterpoint to the richness of the lamb and gravy. Easy to put together and very flavorful.
I didn’t feel I should give any stars, since I altered the recipe so heavily, but it was just too good to not rate. Basically I halved it, used spicy ground lamb, used no vermouth, added potatoes, and cooked on the stove top. With that said, this meal got rated “top 10 dishes ever” and was VERY delicious. The spices and veggies are a great starting point to work with. I highly recommend.
This recipe was excellent. I can’t believe how much flavour I was able to get. I made a few changes to the recipe. I used red wine in place of the vermouth, I used 1 quart of beef broth and one quart of diced tomatoes and I also added 3 sprigs of fresh rosemary when I added the vegetables. I also didn’t brown off the meat first, I simply threw it in after the vegetables had softened for a bit. I also used kale in place of mustard greens and frozen peas so I simmered it with the Kale and the peas for the last 10 minutes. Overall result was delicious, best stew I have ever made.
My family really enjoyed this stew, even our kids, ages 5 and 3. I followed the recipe exactly, except I halved it since 5 lbs of lamb is costly, and I forgot to get the lamb bones. Turned out great, nice rich flavor. The garlic toast is worth the effort. Not sure why it is called Spring Lamb stew since parsnips are more of a fall/winter vegetable…
I pulled this up in April for Easter dinner with friends.. I found out one is now a vegitarian???Go figure.!!! I made this for my husband and we had not tried lamb or parsnips. After many reading of the recipe I got it. One thing I would do is have the butcher remove any fat. In our house a dish gets rated by a kiss on the cheek or on the lips. Where’s the chapstick??
Love it. Will do it most deffinately again.
carol 🙂
Love it. Will do it most deffinately again.
carol 🙂