Icelandic Lamb Stew Recipes

ICELANDIC LAMB STEW

Steps:

• Prepare Meat: Separate meat from any bones, optionally reserving bones (Note 4). Working with meat, trim off and discard excess fat. Cut trimmed meat into chunks, 1 to 1.5 inches in size. Season meat chunks on one side with 1/2 teaspoon each of salt and black pepper.
• Preheat Oven: Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position, and preheat to 300 F.
• Brown Meat: Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in oven-safe pot (Note 5) over medium-high heat until very hot. Add seasoned meat to pot in single layer. Cook until well-browned on bottom, about 5 minutes. Flip meat chunks and repeat for another side, another 5 minutes. Transfer meat to large bowl.
• Cook Vegetables: Reduce to medium heat, and add onions, carrots, celery, and 1 tablespoon olive oil to now-empty pot. Cook for a few minutes, stirring and scraping with stiff wooden utensil to loosen browned bits stuck to bottom of pot. Stir in garlic and thyme until well-mixed and aromatic, less than 30 seconds.
• Add Water & Meat: Add water and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Scrape along bottom and sides of pot to loosen any browned bits. Add any reserved bones. Return browned meat and any accumulated juices, evenly distributing in pot.
• Bake: Bring to simmer, then cover with lid and transfer pot to preheated oven. Cook until meat is very tender, about 2 hours.
• Serve: Uncover, and discard any bones. Stir in green peas and vinegar until well-mixed. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve and save leftovers (Note 6).

LESLIE'S IRISH STEW

Steps:

• Combine water, lamb chops, stout beer, large onion, celery, parsley sprigs, 5 sprigs thyme, garlic, 1 1/2 teaspoon salt, allspice, black pepper, and 3 bay leaves in a slow cooker to make broth.
• Cook on High until flavors combine, about 4 hours. Let cool, at least 30 minutes. Place lamb chops in a resealable plastic bag. Strain broth into a bowl; discard solids. Refrigerate lamb chops and broth, 8 hours to overnight.
• Combine flour, savory, 1 tablespoon garlic and herb seasoning, salt, and pepper in a brown paper bag. Add cubed lamb; shake until coated.
• Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add 1/3 cubed lamb; cook until browned, 1 to 2 minutes per side. Repeat with remaining olive oil and cubed lamb. Transfer browned lamb to the slow cooker.
• Skim fat off the chilled broth and pour into the slow cooker. Trim and bone lamb chops; dice lamb meat and add to the slow cooker. Stir in remaining 5 sprigs thyme and bay leaf, rutabagas, potatoes, cabbage, baby carrots, and small onions.
• Cook on High until lamb is tender, about 4 hours. Discard thyme sprigs and bay leaves. Stir in leek, chopped parsley, and 1 teaspoon garlic and herb seasoning. Cook until flavors combine, 2 to 3 minutes more.

ICELANDIC LAMB LOINS

Steps:

• One hour before you are ready to cook the lamb, remove it from the refrigerator.
• Meanwhile, in a 3-quart nonreactive shallow saucepan, bring the wine to a boil. With a long match, ignite the wine and boil for 2 to 3 minutes, or until the flame subsides and the alcohol evaporates. Add the carrot, onion, celery and garlic; cook at a low boil for about 10 minutes, or until reduced by half. Add the demi-glace and simmer about 15 minutes, or until reduced by half. Remove the pan from the heat; add the rosemary to steep and set aside.
• Preheat the oven to 500 degrees. Heat a large skillet (preferably cast iron) over high heat. Add 1 tablespoon of the oil. When the oil begins to shimmer, add about half the loins and brown about 1 minute on each side. (Do not overcrowd the meat.) Season with salt and pepper and set aside. Repeat with the remaining loins.
• Return all the loins to the skillet and transfer it to the oven. Roast the loins for 4 to 5 minutes, or until the meat is firm to the touch and an instant-read thermometer in the thickest part registers 120 degrees. Transfer the loins to a platter, cover loosely with foil and let stand 5 minutes. (The temperature will reach 125 to 130 degrees for medium rare.)
• Wipe out the skillet. Brown the tenderloins in batches with the remaining tablespoon of oil for 1 to 1 1/2 minutes per side for medium rare.
• Add any juices from the meat to the reserved sauce. Strain it into a bowl through a fine sieve, pressing the vegetables with the back of a spoon to extract as much liquid as possible. Wipe out the saucepan, add the strained sauce and return to a simmer. Whisk in the butter until melted. Remove from the heat and season with salt and pepper. (Makes about 1 cup.)
• Slice the loins on the bias and the tenderloins into thirds. Divide among 6 plates, nap with sauce and serve with Roasted Tomatoes and Summer Peas (see recipes).

BALLYMORE IRISH LAMB STEW

Steps:

• Season lamb chops with salt and pepper.
• Heat oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat until hot but not smoking; add chops. Sear on each side, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from the pan and set aside.
• Pour beer into the pot and cook for 1 minute, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon. Add lamb back to the pot.
• Toss potatoes, carrots, and onions with salt and pepper in a mixing bowl and add to the pot. Cover with lamb stock and bring to a boil. Cover and reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer until lamb falls off the bone, about 2 hours. Stir in roux and continue to cook for 10 minutes. Stir in parsley and spoon into serving bowls.