Lamb Stew

Time: 1 – 2 hours

Music Selection: EmmyLou Harris – Two More Bottles of Wine

This recipe is best if you pour wine in the stew and have a glass on the side while you make it! Enjoy the stew, wine and Emmylou!

Ingredients:

6 oz pancetta, chopped into strips

2 lbs boneless leg of lamb (cooked or uncooked)

½ tsp salt

¼ c. flour

1 onion, diced

4 garlic cloves

1 ½ cups red wine

1 lb button mushrooms, quartered

4 cups beef broth

1 Tbsp tomato paste

2 bay leaves

½ tsp fresh thyme

1 ½ lbs potatoes, cut in 1 inch chunks

4 carrots, peeled and cut into ½ inch coins

Fresh parsley as garnish

Directions:

If working with raw lamb, preheat oven to 325 degrees and use a dutch oven.

Heat large dutch oven on stove and fry the pancetta until fairly crisp. If using raw lamb, remove the pancetta and set aside. Braise the lamb. Remove the lamb.

Add the pancetta back to the pot, and in the pancetta grease, saute the potatoes, onion, garlic and carrots. As they get soft, add in the flour to coat the vegetables. Scraping constantly. Add in the tomato paste and red wine. Then add the beef broth. Bring to a boil.

If using raw lamb, add the lamb, thyme, bay leaves and mushrooms. Cover with a lid and bake in oven for 90 minutes.
If using cooked lamb, add bay leaves, thyme , cooked lamb and mushrooms. Cook for 15 – 20 minutes until potatoes are soft, it is all heated and thickened.