Lamb Stew Recipe

This rich stew consists of tender lamb pieces in a thick vegetable and tomato sauce. Red wine could replace some of the chicken stock in this recipe, if desired.

To obtain the 700g of lamb used in this recipe, we purchased a 1.4kg leg of lamb, removed the bone, and trimmed the meat of excess fat. Any cut of lamb suitable for braising (e.g. shoulder, forequarter chops) could be used.

We like to serve the stew with creamy mashed potato, green beans and crusty bread.

Preparation time: about 40 minutes (excludes cooking time).

Serves 4-5.

We use a 20ml tablespoon and 250ml measuring cup for all of our recipes.

38g (1/4 cup) plain flour
700g trimmed lamb, cut into bite-sized chunks
2 tablespoons (40ml) oil
30g butter
1 medium (about 160g) onion, peeled and finely diced
100g finely diced carrot (about 1 medium)
100g finely diced parsnip (about 1 medium)
100g finely diced celery (about 2 stalks)
1 1/2 tablespoons (36g) tomato paste
2 medium garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
2 1/4 cups (562ml) chicken stock
3/4 cup (188ml) passata (tomato cooking sauce)
2 teaspoons (10ml) balsamic vinegar
1 bay leaf
Salt and pepper, to taste
Finely chopped parsley, to serve

Place the flour and lamb in a plastic freezer bag, hold the bag closed, and shake to coat the meat with the flour.

Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil and half the butter (15g) in a large, heavy-based saucepan or stockpot over medium-high heat. When the butter is bubbling, add half the lamb and cook, turning the meat, until browned on all sides (about 2-3 minutes). Don't overcrowd the pan as this will prevent the meat from browning well (cook in more than two batches if necessary). Transfer browned lamb to a plate. You may need to reduce the heat if the pan becomes too hot. Add remaining tablespoon of oil to the pan and brown remaining lamb. Transfer second batch of lamb to the plate with first batch.

Over medium heat, add the remaining 15g butter, onion, carrot, parsnip and celery to the pan. © exclusivelyfood.com.au

Cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables have softened (about six minutes). Scrape up any brown bits that have stuck to the bottom of the pan.

Push the vegetables to one side of the pan. Add the tomato paste and garlic to the cleared area and cook, stirring constantly, for about 30 seconds.

Return the lamb and any juices to the pan. Add the stock, passata, balsamic vinegar, bay leaf and pepper. Stir to combine.

Increase heat to high and bring mixture to the boil. Cover pan (have the steam vent on the lid open) and reduce heat so that the mixture is just simmering. Cook, stirring occasionally, for about 2 1/2 hours, until the lamb is very tender. You will probably need to remove the lid for the last 30-40 minutes of the cooking time to reduce the sauce.

Remove bay leaf and add salt to taste. Serve stew hot, sprinkled with parsley if desired.

The stew can be made in advance and refrigerated for up to two days to allow the flavours to develop. Reheat in a saucepan or microwave. Suitable to freeze. © www.exclusivelyfood.com.au