Lamb navarin

Preparation info

  • Difficulty

    Medium

  • Feeds

    four to six

Appears in

Old Food

Old Food

By Jill Dupleix

Published 1998

  • About

Traditionally cooked in Paris and its surrounding countryside to herald the arrival of spring, a navarin of lamb is a good old-fashioned stew, made with plenty of onions, carrots and parsnips. Serve with creamy mash and fresh herbs.

Ingredients

  • 3 tbsp light olive oil
  • 1 kg to 1.5 kg (2 lb to 3 lb) lamb shoulder or leg, boned and cut into cubes
  • 1 tbsp plain flour
  • 2 tbsp light olive oil
  • 2 cloves garlic, crushed
  • 1 onion, finely chopped
  • 2 celery stalks, finely chopped
  • 8 small pickling onions
  • 4 carrots, peeled and cut into short lengths
  • 2 parsnips, peeled and cut into short lengths
  • 8 small potatoes, peeled
  • 400 g (14 oz) tomatoes or 4 tomatoes, peeled and seeded
  • sprigs of thyme
  • 2 tbsp finely chopped parsley
  • 1 bay leaf
  • salt and pepper
  • 2 cups chicken broth or water
  • 200 g (7 oz) green beans, blanched

Method

Heat oven to 180°C (350°F). Heat a little of the olive oil in a heavy-bottomed casserole dish that will take direct heat, and brown one-third of the meat. Remove meat, add a little more olive oil, and continue process until all meat is browned. Sprinkle the last lot of meat with flour, salt and pepper, and cook for 2 or 3 minutes on both sides until flour also browns. Add remaining meat and mix well.

Remove meat, and add remaining 2 tablespoons of oil. Add garlic and chopped onion and cook until soft. Add celery, pickling onions and carrots and cook for 5 minutes. Return meat to pan, then add parsnips, potatoes, tomatoes, thyme, parsley, bay leaf and salt and pepper and chicken broth or liquid to come two-thirds of the way up the side of the casserole. Bring to the boil on top of stove then place in oven for 1œ hours. Remove once or twice during that time and turn meat and vegetables over so that they cook evenly. Toss blanched green beans into the casserole for the last 5 minutes of cooking, and serve.