Navarin of lamb printanièr

• porcje: 6 servings
• czas aktywny: 1 hour
• całkowity czas: 3 hours

Składniki

1 boned shoulder of spring lamb, approx 1.5kg/3lb 5oz

2 tbsp sunflower oil

50g/1¾oz butter

2 onions, each cut into 6 wedges

4 garlic cloves: 3 thinly sliced, 1 chopped

1 large carrot, peeled and roughly chopped

1 tsp sugar

2 tbsp flour

1 tbsp tomato purée

2 thyme sprigs

2 bay leaves

1 litre/1¾ pints chicken stock

8 small new potatoes, scraped

8 button onions or small shallots, peeled

8 spring carrots, tops trimmed and scraped

2 small turnips, cut into quarters

50g/1¾oz fresh peas

50g/1¾oz French green beans, topped, tailed and halved

8–10 mint leaves, finely chopped

salt and freshly ground black pepper

900g/2lb floury potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks

50g/1¾oz butter

milk, to taste

Wskazówki

The fat on a shoulder of spring lamb is not excessive and has a good flavour but you do need to trim most of it off – say about 70%. Then cut the meat into 50g/1¾oz pieces.

Put a flameproof casserole over a high heat, add the oil and a tablespoon of the butter, and, when smoking, add the meat and turn it over briskly until well browned.

Pour off the excess oil. Add the rest of the butter and the onions, the sliced garlic, chopped carrot and sugar and fry until the onions are golden brown.

Add the flour and tomato purée and fry for another couple of minutes, then add the thyme, bay leaves, stock and 1½ teaspoons of salt. Bring to the boil, cover and simmer very gently for 40 minutes.

Meanwhile, make the mashed potatoes. Put the potatoes into a pan of well-salted water (1 teaspoon of salt per 600ml/20fl oz water). Bring to the boil and cook for 15–20 minutes until tender. Drain and leave until the steam has died down. Pass them through a potato ricer back into the pan and fold in the butter, salt and pepper to taste, and enough milk to make a creamy mash.

Tip the lamb stew into a colander over a large bowl, pick out the lamb and return it to the pan with the cooking liquid. Discard the vegetables (these were just to flavour the stock).

Add the new potatoes and button onions and cook for 5 minutes. Add the carrots and turnips and cook for a further 10 minutes until all are cooked. Add the peas and beans and simmer for 5 minutes.

Mix together the mint leaves and the chopped garlic and stir into the stew. Serve from the casserole, with the mashed potatoes.