Lamb Stew with Mushrooms
Instructions:
- Most of us don’t have access to truly “wild” mushrooms,
so try a combination of dried porcini with fresh shiitakes
and button mushrooms. Serve this with buttered noodles,
rice or other whole grain, or crisp bread.
Other cuts and meats you can use: boneless pork
shoulder, veal shoulder, or beef chuck or brisket (which
will require somewhat longer cooking time).
- 1/2 ounce dried porcini
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 2 pounds boneless lamb shoulder, trimmed of excess fat and cut into 2-inch cubes, or 3 to 4 pounds bone-in lamb shoulder or neck, cut into roughly 2-inch chunks
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 8 ounces shiitake mushrooms, stems discarded (or saved for stock), sliced
- 8 ounces button mushrooms, trimmed and sliced
- 3 or 4 sprigs fresh thyme
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 1 cup red wine or stock
- Minced fresh parsley leaves for garnish
- Soak the porcini in hot water to cover. Put the olive oil in a large, deep skillet with a lid or a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. When hot, add the lamb chunks a few at a time, removing them as they brown and seasoning with salt and pepper as they cook.
- When they are all nicely browned, which will take 5 to 10 minutes, pour or spoon off the excess fat, then add the shiitakes, button mushrooms, drained porcini (reserve the soaking liquid), and thyme. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the mushrooms begin to brown, 5 to 10 minutes.
- Add the garlic and continue cooking until the mushrooms are dry and lightly browned, 5 minutes longer.
- Add the wine, along with about 1/2 cup of the porcini liquid and some salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, return the lamb to the pan, turn the heat to low, and cover. Cook at a steady bubble, checking and stirring occasionally, until the lamb is tender, about an hour (at most 90 minutes) later. (At this point, you may let the dish sit for a few hours or cover and refrigerate for up to a day before reheating and proceeding.)
- Remove the cover; if the mixture is soupy, raise the heat a bit and cook until the sauce thickens. Taste and adjust the seasoning, then garnish with parsley and serve.
- Lamb Stew with Vinegar.
- Use a whole head of garlic, separated into cloves, in place of the tablespoon of minced garlic. For the liquid, use 1/3 cup good red wine vinegar mixed with 1/2 cup stock
- Lamb Stew with Mushrooms and Olives.
- As the lamb gets close to tenderness in Step 3, add 1 cup good black or green olives (or a mixture; in any case there’s no need to pit as long as you warn your guests!) and finish the cooking with them in the pot.
- Irish Stew.
- Omit all the mushrooms and skip Step 1. In Step 2, after removing the lamb from the pot, stir in 1 chopped onion. Proceed with the recipe, adding 1 pound waxy potatoes (peeled or unpeeled) to the pot during the last 30 minutes of cooking.
- Lamb Stew with Eggplant or Green Beans.
- Omit all the mushrooms and skip Step 1. Salt 3 cups peeled and cubed eggplant or trim and cut in half 3 cups green beans. In Step 2, sauté the eggplant or green beans after cooking the lamb. When soft and turning color, add 1 teaspoon minced garlic and 1 cup chopped tomato (drained canned is fine). Add more liquid if the mixture is dry.
- Lamb Stew with White Beans.
- Keep or omit the mushrooms as you like. Prepare 8 ounces of cannellini or other white beans as described in Cooked Beans, the Quick-Soak Way (If you put raw beans in, they will take too long for the lamb.) For Step 1, brown the meat and mushrooms if you’re using them. In Step 2, drain the beans (saving their liquid), then add them along with the lamb. Cook, stirring occasionally and scraping the bottom to make sure the beans do not burn; add a little of the bean liquid if necessary.
- Lamb Stew with Cinnamon.
- Omit the porcini, button mushrooms, and thyme. In Step 2, use stock or water (not wine) and add 2 cloves, 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon, and one 6-ounce can tomato paste. Mix well. After 30 minutes, add 20 peeled pearl onions (frozen are fine) and 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar. Remove the toothpicks, then garnish with parsley and serve over rice or broad noodles.