Crockpot Lamb Stew

Lamb stew: a savory, rich, tender dish perfect for snowy cold weather. And though I am only slightly tiring of soups and stews with spring around the corner, the truth is that it is still frigid and snowy in many parts of the country, so it may not be time to put away that crockpot just yet.

Here, I have taken inspiration from Saveur | The New Classics Cookbook, using much of the Lamb Navarin recipe while skipping over the complex techniques. What turned out was a delicious dish I would highly recommend for a snowy day or an easy dinner with friends. I hope you enjoy!

Crockpot Lamb Stew

• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 1/2 lb trimmed boneless lamb shoulder, cut into large cubes
• Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
• 5 carrots (or even better, a bag of Trader Joe’s Parisian Carrots — they are round and bite-sized so you won’t have to chop anything — find in the frozen veggies section)
• 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, crushed
• 1/2 cup + 2 Tbsp flour
• 1 Tbsp tomato paste
• 4 medium turnips, peeled and cut into 2″ pieces
• handful of fingerling potatoes
• 3 Tbsp unsalted butter
• 12 pearl onions, peeled
• 1/2 cup frozen peas
• 1 bay leaf
• 3 cups beef broth

Heat large cast iron pot over medium heat. Add olive oil to pot. Dredge each piece of lamb in 1/2 cup flour with salt & pepper, then add to hot pan piece by piece, being careful not to crowd the meat. Working in batches, brown lamb on each side — 8-10 minutes — and set aside in a bowl. Add butter to pot, then onions. Cook onions until soft and brown, about 10 minutes. Add garlic, flour, and tomato paste, and cook, stirring often, until tomato paste begins to brown, about 10 minutes. Stir in 3 cups beef stock and reserved lamb. Bring to a simmer.

Transfer to slow cooker and set heat to low, for 8 hours. Add carrots, potatoes, turnips, pearl onions, and bay leaf and cover. Check the broth level occasionally. The sauce will thicken as it cooks, but if it appears to thicken too much, add a bit of water, 1/2 cup at a time. After 6 hours, add peas. Add salt and pepper to taste, and cook an hour or two more, until the lamb is fall-apart tender. Remove bay leaf before dishing out.

Garnish with fresh parsley and serve with crusty bread. As with many stews, this is even better the second day! Enjoy!