While this lamb stew recipe isn’t inherently Irish, we thought it would be a great recipe to get in the spirit of St. Patrick’s Day. You could certainly add potatoes, turnips, and/or a cup or so of a decent stout or porter to give it more of an Irish feel.
Grass-fed beef or even chopped boneless chicken thighs would make a good substitution for the lamb if you’d like. Feel free to leave the vegetables in large chunks or cut them into smaller pieces.
However if there’s one thing that Marco insists on when it comes to this lamb stew recipe is to add the Greek yogurt! It’s there to thicken the stew and add a tangy richness to the broth.
If you’re using frozen lamb, make sure to thaw it before starting this recipe. To thaw it the morning of, put it in a bowl or container filled with cool to room temperature water (without removing it from the plastic) and place it in the refrigerator until it’s time to take it out and let it come to room temperature.
This recipe comes from Marco’s cookbook A Good Food Day so if you enjoy this recipe, you’ll love the book!
Serves 6.
Ingredients
- 2 lbs. grass-fed lamb stew meat, trimmed of extra fat
- Fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 3 to 4 Tbs. extra virgin olive oil
- 2 small yellow onions, roughly chopped (about 1.5 cups)
- 3 small carrots, roughly chopped (about 1 cup)
- 2 small Japanese or regular sweet potatoes, cut into 1″ cubes (about 3 cups)
- 2 tsp. coriander
- 1 tsp. cumin
- 1/2 tsp. turmeric
- 2 bay leaves
- 3 large garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 1″ piece fresh ginger, peeled and finely chopped
- 1 (14.5 oz.) can diced tomatoes
- 2 cups Brodo (we love this with Hearth but any flavor will do)
- 1/4 cup full-fat plain Greek yogurt
- 1 cup frozen peas
Instructions
- Let the lamb come to room temperature, about 20 minutes out of the refrigerator before cooking. Season the lamb with salt and pepper.
- Pour 3 tablespoons of the olive oil in a large saucepan or Dutch oven and turn the heat to high. When you see wisps of smoke from the pan, add half the lamb and cook without touching it for 2 minutes. Turn each piece and cook for 2 minutes more. Transfer the lamb to a bowl to rest. Repeat with the remaining lamb.
- Add the onions, carrots, sweet potatoes, and a big pinch of salt to the same pan (there should be a little fat sill in the pan, but if it seems dry, add another tablespoon of olive oil). Reduce the heat to medium-high and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are translucent and begin to take on a little browning, about 5 minutes. Add the spices, bay leaves, garlic, and ginger and cook for about 3 minutes, stirring to coat the vegetables.
- Return the lamb to the pan along with the tomatoes and just enough Brodo to to cover the lamb and vegetables, about 2 cups. Increase the heat to high and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to a low simmer, then cover with the lid slightly ajar, and simmer, stirring a couple of times, until the lamb is tender and the stew has thickened, about 1 hour.
- Stir in the yogurt and peas, cover with the lid slightly ajar, and cook for 15 minutes more. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
