How to make
Lamb Stew with Mushrooms
- 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.
MAKES: 4 to 6 servings
TIME: 11/2 to 2 hours, largely unattended
