I feel like lamb has the reputation of being one of those naughty four-letter words in the United States. Often described by people as “gamey,” lamb has a bad rap. Good lamb is succulent and flavorful. It just takes a little time and a little wine. This recipe requires a slow cooker, which I consider a lifesaver at times. I can put it on and step away to do things like laundry, read a book, write a blog post, etc.

Lamb Stew

Prep time 20 minutes, Cook time 8-10 hours

Ingredients

• .75 pounds of lamb, cubed
• 1.25 pounds of bone-in lamb shoulder, neck slices (If you are not a fan of dealing with bones, you can just use more lamb, cubed. (2 pounds total)
• 1/3 cup of all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons of olive oil
• 1 medium onion, thinly sliced
• 1 cup of water
• 2 large red potatoes, medium diced
• 4-5 medium carrots, peeled and cut in chunks on diagonal
• 1 cup red wine
• 1 cup beef broth
• 2 teaspoons french thyme
• 1 teaspoon rosemary
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 cup of frozen green peas, thawed
• salt
• pepper

Directions

In a shallow bowl, add flour, salt, and pepper. Mix to combine. Coat lamb in mixture. Shake off any excess.

Heat olive oil over medium high heat in a 12-inch frying pan. Add lamb and brown on all sides (You’ll need to cook in two batches. I brown the neck slices first then the cubes. It takes approximately 5-7 minutes per batch.). Place browned lamb in slow cooker. Lower the heat to medium low and add onions to the frying pan and cook for 3-4 minutes, stirring occasionally. Pour in 1 cup of water, scraping up brown bits on the bottom of the pan, cook for 1 minute, and then transfer to slow cooker.

Add potatoes, carrots, red wine, beef broth, french thyme, rosemary, and bay leaf to the slow cooker. Also, I like to add a few grinds of fresh sea salt and black pepper. Mix together. Turn on slow cooker and cook on low for 8-10 hours. A half hour prior to finishing, add greens peas and salt and pepper to taste. If you desire a thicker stew, mix together 2 tablespoons of flour and a half cup of warm water in a measuring cup. Pour in the slow cooker and let cook for the remaining half hour along with the peas. Remove bay leaf. Let cool approximately 15 minutes prior to serving.

Serve in bowls with some crusty bread. Be careful of the bones! You’ll be wiping your plate with the bread, I promise. It’s that good. Lamb will be your new BFF.