Gigot Chop Lamb Stew (serves 6)

I am reposting my most searched recipe as I have updated it with a little more information on this curious cut of flavorful meat, (as well as tweaking the recipe). Hopefully this will prompt you to try it out now that the weather is getting colder and we are craving more luscious comforting food.

Gigot Chop Lamb Stew

The picture of this dish says it all. Just looking at it makes me want to run to the butcher shop for some luscious Irish lamb chops! I may be bias, but at this moment I have to announce that there is absolutely no better lamb in the world.

Fields and fields of sheep with their lambs. They can be seen everywhere munching down on the famous green grass in Ireland. (Woolly sheep happily grazing in County Wexford)

I grew up eating the best lamb stew in the world and only realized that fact when I moved away and could not find lamb that equalled it anywhere.

The cut of lamb that I prefer for lamb stew is the gigot chop, and if you can find them, you are on your way to making something fabulous.

What is a Gigot Chop?: It is a cut from the leg of an animal (I usually think of lamb but gigot pork is also a common cut). This chop has a small bone in the center helping provide a wonderful sweet flavor to a dish like a stew or any type of slow braise.

If you cannot find gigot chops, a good alternative is a cut from the shoulder.

Yum

_______________________________________

You will need:

3 tbsp extra-virgin or regular olive oil

4 to 6 lamb Gigot chops (if they are large, use 4. If you cannot find gigot chops, use a cut from the shoulder)

coarse sea-salt or kosher salt to season chops (about 2 tsp)

Several grinds of black pepper (optional)

10 small onions, halved

4 medium carrots, cut into thick diagonal slices

4 medium potatoes, washed & quartered

2 parsnips, peeled & thickly sliced

3 or 4 small/medium potatoes, cut into 4 wedges each (I used golden or yellow potatoes as they have a nice creamy sweetness and hold up well to long cooking)

3 sprigs fresh rosemary

2 tbsp all-purpose flour

2 tsp coarse sea-salt (I use Maldon sea-salt flakes)

several grinds black pepper (optional)

1 cup white wine

4 cups veggie or chicken broth (or 1 good quality bouillon cube & water)

Method:

Preheat oven 450*

1 – Season the chops with salt (and freshly ground pepper if you like), and sear in large saute pan on high heat in olive oil. Make sure to cook in one layer at a time, adding olive oil as you need it. Transfer to plate as you go and set aside.

sear chops

2 – Turn heat down to medium and add the onions and rosemary and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

saute onions and rosemary

3 – Add carrots and parsnips and continue to saute for another 5 or so minutes, letting them take on a little brown color. Add the flour and stir into veggies. Cook for about 1 minute, stirring constantly.

add carrots and parsnips

4 – Add the wine and stir to a thick paste. Next, add the broth (or water & bouillon). Turn heat up to high and stir everything together. Let the liquid come to a boil. When it bubbles, turn heat off. Taste the broth and add salt and pepper if it needs it (until you are satisfied)

add liquids, next meat and top with layer of quartered potatoes

5 – Add the chops back to the pot in an even layer (meat will overlap slightly and that’s fine). Next scatter the quartered potatoes on top of the lamb. Cover with a lid.

top with potatoes and cook in hot oven

6 – Place in preheated oven and cook undisturbed for 1 1/4 hours. Remove from oven and leave to cool down and settle for 10 minutes.

serve

Divide chops between six plates or shallow bowls and top with lots of vegetables and broth. You can also serve with other things such as rice, pasta noodles, bread, cooked greens or leafy side salad.

Juicy Lamb With Herbes de Provence (serves 6)

If you have a stocked pantry and meat in the freezer, then making a dinner like this one requires no thinking or trip to the supermarket. I use fresh herbs in my food as much as possible, however I do keep a few dried varieties on hand for those moments when the cupboard is bare or when I want the intensity that is characteristic of certain dried herbs. My favorite is a mixture called Herbes de Provence and one tablespoon can make a big impact.

Juicy Lamb With Herbes de Provence

Herbes de Provence is a combination of thyme, marjoram, rosemary, basil, fennel, sage and lavender. I think that lavender is one of the key ingredients and gives dishes like the one I made last night a beautiful perfume-y quality that goes so well with strong flavors like lamb.

So if shelf space is meagre in your kitchen, or you are like me and don’t like spending money on a ton of dried herbs that more often than not don’t get used up before they have lost their aroma, stick with the all-in-one Herbes de Provence. It is great in stews, grilled meat, fish and vegetables.

_________________________________________

You will need:

2 -3 tbs olive oil

sea-salt & freshly ground black pepper

6 lamb shoulder loin chops (about 1 lb each)

2 sweet onions, large dice, or 1/2 moon slices

2 ribs celery, including leaves, sliced

2 carrots, peeled & sliced

4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced

1 cup tomato puree

6 cups veggie or chicken stock OR 1 good quality bouillon cube & water

1 tbs Herbes de Provence

Method:

Preheat oven 400*

1 – Generously season the lamb with sea-salt and freshly ground black pepper. Put large saute pan on high heat and add 2 tbs of olive oil. When it is very hot, add the chops in an even layer (you will probably need to do this in 2 or 3 batches depending on the size of your pan). Cook on each side until browned, adding more oil as needed. Remove to a heavy casserole or dutch oven.

Sear lamb

2 – Turn heat down to medium and add all of the veggies, as well as the Herbes de Provence. Cook for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Saute veggies with seasonings

3 – Add the tomato pure and mix well.

Add tomato puree

4 – Add the stock, or bouillon and water, and turn heat up to high. Bring to a boil.

Add liquid

5 – Add the chops and place in the oven checking after 1 1/4 hours. If the chops are very tender, remove from the oven. If not, return to the oven for another 15 minutes or until done. Let the pan rest for 10 minutes before serving.

Add chops

Serve with whatever you like: rice, mashed potatoes, sautéed greens, salad, bread or pasta.

Cook

Gigot Chop Lamb Stew (serves 6)

Gigot Chop Lamb Stew

The picture of this dish says it all. Just looking at it makes me want to run to the butcher shop for some luscious Irish lamb chops! I may be bias, but at this moment I have to announce that there is absolutely no better lamb in the world.

I took a train trip yesterday and while gazing out the window I passed fields and fields of grazing sheep and lambs. They can be seen everywhere munching down on the famous green grass in Ireland.

I grew up eating the best lamb stew in the world and only realized that fact when I moved away and could not find lamb that equalled it anywhere.

The cut of lamb that I prefer for lamb stew is the gigot chop, and if you can find them, you are on your way to making something fabulous.

What is a Gigot Chop?: It is a chop cut from the leg of an animal (I usually think of lamb but gigot pork is also a common cut). This chop has a small bone in the center helping provide a wonderful sweet flavor to a dish like a stew or any type of slow braise.

If you cannot find gigot chops, a good alternative is a cut from the shoulder.

_______________________________________

You will need:

3 tbs extra-virgin or regular olive oil

4 to 6 lamb Gigot chops (if they are large, use 4. If you cannot find gigot chops, use a cut from the shoulder)

coarse sea-salt or kosher salt to season chops (about 2 tsp)

Several grinds of black pepper (optional)

10 small onions, halved

4 medium carrots, cut into thick diagonal slices

4 medium potatoes, washed & quartered

2 parsnips, peeled & thickly sliced

3 or 4 small/medium potatoes, cut into 4 wedges each (I used golden or yellow potatoes as they have a nice creamy sweetness and hold up well to long cooking)

3 sprigs fresh rosemary

2 tbs all-purpose flour

2 tsps coarse sea-salt (I use Maldon sea-salt flakes)

several grinds black pepper (optional)

1 cup white wine

4 cups veggie or chicken broth (or 1 good quality bouillon cube & water)

Method:

Preheat oven 450*

1 – Season the chops with salt (and freshly ground pepper if you like), and sear in large saute pan on high heat in olive oil. Make sure to cook in one layer at a time, adding olive oil as you need it. Transfer to plate as you go and set aside.

sear chops

2 – Turn heat down to medium and add the onions and rosemary and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

saute onions and rosemary

3 – Add carrots and parsnips and continue to saute for another 5 or so minutes, letting them take on a little brown color. Add the flour and stir into veggies. Cook for about 1 minute, stirring constantly.

add carrots and parsnips

4 – Add the wine and stir to a thick paste, then add the broth (or water & bouillon). Turn heat up to high and stir everything together. Let the liquid come to a boil. When it bubbles, turn heat off. Taste the broth and add salt and pepper if it needs it (until you are satisfied)

add liquids, then meat

5 – Add the chops in an even layer (meat will certainly overlap slightly). Next scatter the quartered potatoes on top of the lamb. Cover with a lid.

top with potatoes and cook in hot oven

6 – Place in preheated oven and cook undisturbed for 1 1/4 hours. Remove from oven and leave to cool down and settle for 10 minutes.

serve

Divide chops between six plates or shallow bowls and top with lots of vegetables and broth. You can also serve with other things such as rice, pasta noodles, bread or some greens (either cooked such as wilted spinach or a salad of field greens)

Superb Lamb Stew with Herbs, & Winter-y Veggies (serves 6)

They say that self-praise is no-praise, but I have to pat myself on the back for this gem of a dish (pat, pat)!

Superb Lamb Stew

I wanted to make something splendid. My friend Bird was in from New York, and each day had to be full of fun adventures, and fabulous food each evening.

Sage, Bay leaves & Pearl onion skins (evidence of good food to come)

I took this dinner to my friend Tom’s house, and it became part of an even larger affair, with 4 different kinds of pizzas, cheese plates, and other side dishes too numerous to mention.

I thought after about 2 months of doing this blog, the food would run out. Now I find I cannot keep up with the amount of dishes to be documented and talked about. I will have to leave the pizza for another day, and give it the spot in this diary that it deserves.

Suffice is to say, I waddled home very contentedly.

__________________________________

You will need: 5 or so tbs extra-virgin olive oil, 2 1/2 lbs stewing lamb, cut into large chunks (you can also buy it pre-cut), 2 tbs freshly chopped sage leaves, 1 large sprig sage (about 10 leaves), 2 tbs freshly chopped tarragon, 2 fresh bay leaves, 1 tsp sea-salt, 1/2 tsp freshly cracked black pepper, 5 cloves garlic, sliced, 1 lb whole white mushrooms, 2 cups pearl onions, (red, white or yellow), 1 sweet potato, peeled and cut into large chunks, 2 cups baby carrots, 3 parsnips, peeled and cut into chunks, 2 tbs all-purpose flour, 1 good quality bouillon cube ( veggie or chicken), 1 cup red wine, 3 cups water, 3 tbs soy sauce, 4 tbs mirin, 1 tbs sugar

Preheat 450*

1 – Put pot of water on high heat and when it comes to a boil, add the onions. cover and cook for 5 minutes. Drain, and, when cool enough to handle, remove the skins. You do this by cutting the end where it grew from and then squeezing until the onion pops out of the skin.

2 – Put meat into a big bowl and add the salt, pepper, herbs and garlic. Stir together and let sit for 10 minutes, (you can also leave in the fridge for up to 6 hours)

add seasonings to meat

3 – Put big saute pan or heavy casserole on high heat and add half of the oil. When it is slightly smoking, add the meat and sear on both sides until brown. You will need to do this in batches and add more oil as you go. Transfer to a plate and set aside.

sear meat

4 – Turn heat down to medium and add more oil if necessary. Add the mushrooms and onions to the pan and saute for 10 minutes. Add the crumbled bouillon, sage sprig, and flour, and mix into the vegetables. Add the red wine and water and turn heat up. Stir until liquid reaches a simmer and then add the lamb back to the pan.

saute pearl onions and mushrooms

5 – Cover pan and place in preheated oven for 1 1/4 hours. Take out of oven and test meat by piercing with a knife. If it goes through very easily,the meat is cooked.

* while dish is cooking, put the remaining veggies (parsnips, sweet potatoes, & carrots) into a pot with the soy, mirin, sugar and 1 cup of water. Bring to a boil and simmer gently (with lid) until vegetables are just soft. Drain and set aside until you are ready to add to the finished dish*

add liquids

6 – The moment you take the dish out of the oven, remove the lid and add the cooked root vegetables. Cover and let it sit for 10 to 15 minutes to let the veggies warm up.

remove from oven and add cooked wintry veggies

Serve as is, or with mash, rice, pasta, bread or a salad. All I can say is, be prepared to fight over the last scraps in the pan!

Can be serves alone, or, with whatever else you fancy

Lamb with Scalloped Potato and Mushroom Pie Casserole (serves 4-6)

This was a truly wonderful lamb dish. If you like lamb well-enough, you will love it after trying this!

Truly a great lamb dinner!

This dish came about because I wanted something fabulous to go with some morel mushrooms my friend Tom had found in the woods by his house. I got a phone call to tell me the news and I was so excited that I bought some expensive meat and some cream to make a rich sauce for the morels to languish in! Anyway to make a long story short, I did not end up using them in this dish for one reason or another, and, that may be a good thing. (I am writing a post about my morels next!). If I had used them instead of  the ordinary white button mushrooms you would perhaps never have had an opportunity to try this recipe (being that they are difficult to come by and cost an obscene amount of money). That would be a great tragedy as I actual don’t see how this dish could have turned out better!

__________________________________________________

You will need: 2 1/2 lbs lamb shoulder, cut into big chunks (you may be able to find it already cut. It will be marked “stewing lamb”), 3 tbs olive oil,  1 medium sweet onion, diced, 8 medium yellow, white or red potatoes, cut in half, 4 garlic cloves, finely chopped, 8 oz white mushrooms, sliced, 2 sprigs fresh rosemary, left whole,  1 vegetable stock cube, 1 cup heavy cream, 1 cup water, coarse sea-salt, freshly ground black pepper.

Preheat oven 375*

Seasoned lamb ready for searing..

1 – Put lamb chunks in big bowl and season with 1 1/2 tsp coarse salt (if your salt is not coarse just add 1 tsp), several good grinds of pepper and the chopped garlic. Mix everything together. Set aside until ready to sear.

2 – Put halved potatoes in pot and cover with cold water. Place on stove top with lid and when it comes to a boil, time for 10 minutes. The will still be undercooked, but not hard. Drain in colander. When the are cool enough to handle (you can be doing other tasks like chopping onions and mushrooms or searing lamb?) peel, slice thickly and set aside.

Sear lamb in batches..

3 – In big saute pan sear meat on high heat in olive oil. Do not add meat until pan and oil are hot. Sear in a single layer and don’t crowd the pan or the meat will not brown! (A little patience required)

saute onions, garlic, rosemary and bouillon cube..

4 – When meat is done, turn heat down and cook the onions for 5 minutes. Add garlic, bouillon cube and rosemary sprigs and continue to cook for another 2 minutes.

5 – Add the cream and water and stir. Continue to cook until it comes to a simmer. Turn off pan.

Assemble casserole: In heavy casserole pot rub about 1/2 tbs unsalted butter inside pot. Layer 1/2 of the potatoes on the bottom, followed by 1/2 of the raw sliced mushrooms. Add 1 cup of sauce from pan, along with a nice portion of the onion mixture and 1 of the rosemary sprigs.

Layer potatoes, mushrooms, sauce, onions and rosemary sprig..

Next add all the lamb, followed by potatoes, mushrooms and the rest of the sauce. Cover and place in oven for 1 1/2 hours.

The sauce was perfect with the lamb..

Serve on warmed plates with some greens. (We had it with sautéed spinach)

Scalloped Potato Pie w/ Lamb & Chicken (serves 6)

It was St. Patrick’s Day yesterday and being Irish and away from home I felt no obligation to cook something “Irish” for our dinner. My sister (who is in Ireland) teased me about making sure I made a “good old Irish Dinner” – she was joking of course. We just don’t think about St. Patrick’s day in that way!

Having said that, yesterday, as I was peering into the freezer and deciding on dinner I spied some minced lamb and I couldn’t help feeling a little sentimental and so I pulled it out. Prehaps it was because every second person that I saw was wearing something green (or when driving down town someone was sporting the sign  “honk if you’re Irish”)?

Scalloped Potato Pie

I ended up making a dinner that included lamb and potatoes, but, the dish also had chicken and curry flavors. I though the curry would be great with the lamb. I wanted it to be a “dirty only 1 pot” meal so I combined everything into a make-shift scalloped pie. This is something I will certainly make again  – no matter what day it is.

You will need: 1 lb minced lamb, 1 lb boneless skinless chicken breast, 1 big sweet onion, 3 cloves garlic, 3 or 4 oz shiitake mushrooms, 8 medium potatoes, 1 tbs curry powder, 2 tbs flour, 3 tbs unsalted butter, 2 cups chicken broth, freshly ground black pepper & salt for seasoning.

Preheat oven 375*

Boil potato slices for 6 minutes.

1 – Wash potatoes and cut into slices (about 1/4″ or just over 1cm) and place in pot and fill with water until just covered. Put lid on and place on high heat on stove-top. When the water comes to a boil, time for 6 minutes (you may have to turn the heat down slightly to avoid the lid hopping up and down off of your pot!). Drain into colander and let the potatoes sit until you need them.

saute onions and shiitake and garlic before adding lamb.

2 – Dice onions, shiitake and finely chop garlic. Put saute pan on medium heat and add 2 tbs of butter. Add the onions and shiitake and cook for about 3 minutes before adding the garlic. Cook for another minute and then add the last tbs of butter, 1 tsp salt, a few grinds of pepper and the lamb. Break up the lamb and cook until meat has browned (about 4 or 5 minutes)

Add curry powder to lamb mixture..

3 – When meat has browned, add curry powder and mix. Add flour and mix and cook for about 2 minutes to allow the flour to cook.

assemble - potato, lamb, chicken & repeat..

4 – Chop the chicken into small chunks.

End with potato layer and then pour broth into dish..

5 – Grease a casserole dish with butter and add a single layer of potatoes. Spoon 1/2 of the lamb mixture on top followed by 1/2 of the chicken and a grind of black pepper and a little salt. Add another layer of potatoes, lamb and chicken and end with a layer of potatoes. Pour broth into dish and press everything down with your hands until the broth covers everything. Place in preheated oven for 50 minutes.

We had this with a fresh green salad.

The leftovers also made a great lunch.

Lunch!

Lamb Stew

It was a freezing cold day so tonight’s dinner had to be primitive. It had to be something you would cook if your house was devoid of heat and your dinner was going to be the only thing to keep you warm in your bed at night. Our big blanket came this evening in the form of lamb. Nothing warms better than a steaming bowl of syrupy lamb stew. I know lots of people who cringe when I talk about lamb for dinner. They find it too intense a taste. For me it is a food that I grew up eating. It was a once a week offering and came in a big pot with lots of potatoes bobbing in the stew broth. I have been conditioned to believe that it is the medicine for cold nights (well that and a hot water bottle!) and my job is to pass that message onto my children.  It takes a bit of time to cook so get it into the oven as soon as you can.

You will need: 3 lbs lamb shoulder, 8 cloves garlic (separated but left in skins), 3 carrots, 3 parsnips, 2 celery stalks, 1 140z can whole peeled Roma tomatoes & juice, 1 onion, 1 cup red wine, 3 cups vegetable stock or chicken stock OR 3 cups water and 1 bouillon cube (chicken or vegetable), 1 tbs chopped fresh rosemary, salt and freshly ground pepper.

Prehead oven 325*

Dice onions, slice carrots, parsnips & celery. Chop rosemary. Set vegetables aside

season meat..

and get the big 12″ saute pan onto the stove on high heat. Season the lamb with salt and pepper. If you don’t buy the meat already cut into pieces you can do the

sear the meat

job yourself. Cut the meat into big chunks. If you do not have a big saute pan use your heavy casserole pot to do the job. When pan is hot add 3 tbs olive oil and sear meat in batches until it is well browned. Turn heat down and add onions &

onion, celery, carrot, parsnip - saute

celery and saute for about 3 minutes. Add carrots and parsnips and saute for a further 4 to 5 minutes.  Add rosemary, give it a minute before adding the red wine. Let it bubble for a minute or two and then add the tomatoes, garlic & stock or water and bouillon cube.  Let the liquid come to a boil at which time put the lamb back into the liquid. Taste the liquid and add more seasoning (salt  & pepper) if you think it needs it – this is purely a matter of taste.  Cook in oven for

Bring everything to a boil

2 hours. Take out and test meat. If it needs more liquid add a cup of water and stir in. If it is not completely tender put back in oven for

eat bread and butter to stave off hunger..

another 1/2 hour. Take it out and let it sit covered for 10 minutes.  Serve with some baby steamed potatoes (or rice) and some greens. Sometimes a big loaf of bread is all you may feel like……pretty easy dinner to put together.

et voila!