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Christmas

A Lighter Lamb Stew

by:
December 12, 2012
21 Reviews
A Lighter Lamb Stew
Photo by James Ransom
Author Notes

Homemade chicken stock and Guinness replace the thick, traditional gravy of many lamb stews and give this stew a broth-y sauce pepped up with lemon zest and fresh herbs. The finished stew is tender enough to be pulled apart with two spoons. Tip: add a little more stock when reheating leftovers. —Lizthechef

Test Kitchen Notes

This is exactly what I wanted after the heavy holiday meals I had been eating for the last few weeks; Lizthechef's light lamb stew is perfection. The broth is complex and flavorful -- really, this is more like a hearty soup. Roasting the lamb on a bed of vegetables flavored with herbs, stock, and Guinness yields a really tender piece of meat that is easily pulled apart with a fork. And I love that everything is done in the oven. I bet this would be just as good made with a beef roast! —sdebrango

  • Serves 6
Ingredients
  • 1 24-ounce bag of baby Dutch potatoes
  • 4 Large carrots, cut into 1-inch pieces
  • 1 Large yellow onion, chopped
  • 1 3-pound boneless lamb roast
  • 1 6-inch piece fresh rosemary
  • 5 sprigs fresh thyme
  • 5 sprigs flat-leaved parsley
  • Zest of 1 lemon
  • 4 Garlic cloves, chopped
  • 3 tablespoons olive oil
  • Kosher salt and ground black pepper
  • 1 11 or 12-ounce bottle Guinness beer
  • 2 cups homemade or low sodium chicken stock
  • 2 cups cremini mushrooms, sliced
  • 1 1/2 cups large frozen green peas
In This Recipe
Directions
  1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
  2. Layer the potatoes, then the carrots and onions in a large, heavy-bottomed pot.
  3. Remove the netting from the lamb, open up the roast and place it, cut side down, on top of the vegetables. Using your hand, coat the roast with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.
  4. Combine the rosemary, thyme and parsley into a small bundle and tie with kitchen string. Tuck it under the lamb.
  5. Sprinkle the lemon zest and garlic over the lamb.
  6. Pour beer and chicken stock over the vegetables.
  7. Cover and cook for 3 hours. Add the mushrooms and cook for 30 minutes more.
  8. Remove pot from oven, add the peas and cover for 5 more minutes.
  9. Remove the herb bundle. Using 2 spoons or forks, pull the lamb apart into pieces and serve with the vegetables.
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