Spicy lamb stew, shoulder of lamb slowly cooked in white wine with onions, garlic, peppers, pasilla chilies, peppers, cumin, tomatoes, raisins and herbs.
We love lamb in every way here – braised, roasted, grilled and even made into meatballs. Here’s a flavorful lamb stew that’s almost meaty in flavor. Think of it like a spicy lamb pot roast.
The recipe comes from the Niman Ranch Cookbook, where it is referred to as a tajine, a flavorful Moroccan stew.
Slow cooking at a low, even temperature is important for tenderizing the lamb shoulder. We made this stew on the stovetop, but you can easily make it in a slow cooker or even a traditional Moroccan tagine.
Spicy lamb stew
You get more flavor by using less expensive bone-in lamb cuts. In this case, you’ll probably want to remove the bones before serving. Choose lamb cuts that have some fat.
ingredients
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2-3 pounds lamb shoulder stew, cut into 1½-inch cubes
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Extra virgin olive oil
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2 yellow onions, chopped
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4 garlic cloves, chopped
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2 red peppers, chopped
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2 dry pasilla chiles, chopped, stems and most of the seeds removed
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1 tbsp hot Hungarian paprika*
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1½ teaspoons ground cumin
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Pinch of ground cardamom
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1½ cups chicken broth (use gluten-free broth for the gluten-free version)
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14 ounces canned whole tomatoes, ground or mashed through a food grinder
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8-10 sprigs of fresh flat-leaf parsley
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4-5 sprigs of thyme
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1 bay leaf
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2/3 cup raisins
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salt and pepper
- *Hot Hungarian paprika is not the regular Hungarian paprika which is sweet and mild. It’s even hotter than cayenne pepper. If you don’t have access to hot paprika, I would substitute 1/2 with sweet paprika and 1/2 with chili powder.
special equipment
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cheesecloth
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butcher cord
method
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Sear the lamb on all sides:
Pat the lamb dry with a paper towel. Drying the lamb this way first will brown the lamb pieces. Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large, heavy, high-sided saucepan, such as a saucepan. B. a Dutch oven, over medium heat. When the pot is hot, add the lamb pieces in batches, being careful not to overfill. Cook for 6-8 minutes, turning as necessary so the lamb pieces brown evenly on all sides. Pour into a bowl.
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Sauté onions, peppers, chillies, garlic:
Put the pot back on medium heat. Add the onions, dried peppers and red peppers and stir with the oil in the saucepan. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the garlic and cook 1 more minute.
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Make a bouquet garni with parsley, thyme, bay leaf:
Make a bouquet garni by placing parsley, thyme and bay leaf in the center of a doubled square of cheesecloth. Gather the ends and secure with kitchen twine.
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Add spices, tomatoes, lamb, broth, raisins, herbs, simmer and cook:
Stir in the paprika, cumin, and cardamom and cook for a minute. Add the mashed (or cooked through a food mill) tomatoes, lamb, chicken broth, raisins, and bouquet garni. Bring to a boil over high heat, reduce heat to low. Cook, partially covered, for about 3 hours or until lamb is tender.
Season with salt and pepper.
Serve with couscous or rice (gluten-free option).
Recipe adapted from a Village Pub lamb tagine recipe from the Niman Ranch Cookbook.
