Lamb Ragout With Spring Vegetables

Name: Lamb Ragout With Spring Vegetables
Total time: 2 h 30 min
Yield: 4 to 6 servings
Cuisine: french
Ingredients: 3 pounds lamb shoulder, trimmed of exterior fat, cut in 2-inch chunks; Salt and pepper; 2 teaspoons fennel seed, crushed in a mortar or spice mill; 2 tablespoons olive oil, more as needed; 2 medium onions, diced, about 2 cups; 4 garlic cloves, roughly chopped; 1 bay leaf; A few sprigs fresh thyme; 1 tablespoon tomato paste; 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour; 1 cup white wine; 4 cups chicken or vegetable broth; 3 pounds fava beans in the pod, or use 1 1/2 cups frozen baby lima beans or edamame, defrosted; 1 medium fennel bulb, trimmed and cut into 1-inch squares (reserve the fronds for garnish); 1/2 pound baby carrots, about 12, trimmed and peeled; 2 pounds baby turnips, trimmed and halved or quartered; 2 tablespoons butter; 1 bunch scallions, cut in 2-inch lengths; 1 teaspoon lemon zest; 2 tablespoons parsley

By David Tanis

Total Time: 2½ hours
Rating: 5(174)
Notes: Read community notes

To celebrate the end of winter, French cooks make navarin printanier, a lamb stew. Instead of serving it with potatoes, parsnips or other winter root vegetables, this colorful stew is brimming with fresh spring produce, a mixture of small vegetables like baby turnips, fava beans and scallions. To keep it on the lighter side, use a splash of white wine instead of red. Finish with peas or asparagus tips, cooked briefly, if they are available. The stew can be made a day ahead, but the vegetables should be freshly cooked before serving.

Featured in: Bid Adieu to Winter With a Colorful Lamb Stew

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Ingredients

Yield:4 to 6 servings

3pounds lamb shoulder, trimmed of exterior fat, cut in 2-inch chunks
Salt and pepper
2teaspoons fennel seed, crushed in a mortar or spice mill
2tablespoons olive oil, more as needed
2medium onions, diced, about 2 cups
4garlic cloves, roughly chopped
1bay leaf
A few sprigs fresh thyme
1tablespoon tomato paste
2tablespoons all-purpose flour
1cup white wine
4cups chicken or vegetable broth
3pounds fava beans in the pod, or use 1½ cups frozen baby lima beans or edamame, defrosted
1medium fennel bulb, trimmed and cut into 1-inch squares (reserve the fronds for garnish)
½pound baby carrots, about 12, trimmed and peeled
2pounds baby turnips, trimmed and halved or quartered
2tablespoons butter
1bunch scallions, cut in 2-inch lengths
1teaspoon lemon zest
2tablespoons parsley

Ingredient Substitution Guide

Preparation

Step 1
Season lamb chunks generously with salt and pepper. Sprinkle with fennel seed and rub to distribute. Set aside for 30 minutes (or refrigerate for up to several hours, or overnight).
Step 2
Heat oven to 350 degrees. Put 2 tablespoons oil in a Dutch oven or similar heavy pot over medium-high heat. When hot, add lamb and brown on all sides, until meat is well caramelized, about 10 minutes. Work in batches if necessary to avoid crowding pan.
Step 3
Remove lamb, turn heat to medium and add onions (and a little oil if necessary) and cook, stirring, until softened and lightly colored, 5 to 8 minutes. Add garlic, bay leaf and thyme and cook for 1 minute, then stir in tomato paste. Sprinkle with flour and cook 2 minutes more. Add white wine and whisk well as mixture thickens. Whisk in broth and bring to a brisk simmer.
Step 4
Return meat to pot. Cover pot and bake for about 1 hour 15 minutes, until meat is tender when probed. Taste sauce and adjust seasoning. Keep warm, or cool to room temperature and refrigerate overnight before proceeding with vegetables (which should be prepared right before serving).
Step 5
Prepare the vegetables: Remove fava beans from pod. Blanch 2 minutes in boiling water, then cool in ice water. Peel and discard outer gray skin from each bean. You should have about 1½ cups. Set aside. (If using frozen lima beans or edamame, cook the thawed beans for 3 to 4 minutes in salted boiling water.)
Step 6
Bring a medium pot of fresh water to a boil and salt well. Add fennel and simmer until tender, about 2 minutes. Remove with spider and rinse with cold water to refresh. In the same pot, cook carrots until tender, about 4 minutes, then remove and refresh. Cook turnips for 3 minutes, then remove and refresh.
Step 7
Just before serving, melt butter in a wide skillet over medium heat. Add cooked fennel, carrots and turnips. Add scallions and stir to distribute. Season with salt and pepper. Add a splash of water and cook until scallions have softened, about 2 minutes. Add fava beans and heat through. Stir in lemon zest and parsley.
Step 8
Transfer meat and sauce to a large serving dish. Spoon vegetables around meat and garnish with fennel fronds.

Tip

To make a quick vegetable broth, simmer 1 sliced medium leek, 1 sliced small onion, 2 chopped mushrooms and 1 stalk chopped celery in 6 cups water for 30 minutes. Strain and refrigerate for up to 3 days.

Ratings

5 out of 5

174 user ratings

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Private Notes

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Cooking Notes

J. David Nelson6 years ago

My family raved about this recipe. I mean, they are respectful and appreciative of my cooking, in general, but this positive reaction was major major. I did not alter the recipe at all. I even got raves about it as a leftover!

Sonia6 years ago

Particularly with pasture raised lamb slow and low is needed to produce a tender stew. Cook until almost falling off the bone produces a flavorful stew.

naomi dagen bloom6 years ago

Excellent dish! Changes: Two teaspoons ground fennel in Step 1. Skipped fennel bulb. One tsp. fennel seeds while cooking vegetables--including edamame. Simplified Step 5.

randy6 years ago

Followed the ingredient list, but instead of tomato paste, I choose to make a stew so I added a can to chopped tomatoes and extra chicken broth. Slow cooked everything and let it rest overnight before serving--truly fantastic.

Elissa2 days ago

I prepared the lamb yesterday as written and the liquid seems a bit thin ! Any suggestions , a beurre manie? It’s wonderful and will do the vegetables today.

JLake in SF3 weeks ago

This was a great recipe! I’ve made it twice, once with lamb as directed and once with beef. For the beef version I extended the cooking time to 3 hours - and it was meltingly tender. Served it with potato gratin. With the lamb version the vegetable technique worked great for some small carrots and snap peas.

Merla3 months ago

This was delicious. A little salty but very flavorful. Next time I will be watching the addition of salt but I will be making again.

Jonah1 year ago

Loved this! Upped the meat and stock a bit because that’s what I had. It fit in my 6qt Dutch oven. Swapped the veg for what was available at this time of year where I live: thin wedges of turnip, thick sliced carrots, asparagus instead of the beans. I used two small fennel and I wish I had used 3. I think a bit of orange zest with the lemon would’ve been nice. The stew is complex despite relatively simple ingredients and method and we appreciated the tender crisp veg as a foil to the stew

meggins2 years ago

Honestly Probably the best dish I have ever served for a small dinner party. I followed the directions as written to the best of my ability although I was never quite sure as I went along…I will say it took a lot of time to prep all Of the veg and next time I would just sub edamame for the fava beans which took forever . Served with Israeli tricolored couscous, a watercress and artichoke salad with lemon Parm dressing and good bread. Delicious!

Nicole MN2 years ago

This was a huge hit with all of my friends and me as well! I couldn’t find lamb shoulder so ended up using boneless leg of lamb which was wonderful! I also substituted fresh English peas for the fava beans since I love peas and it worked really well

KLM2 years ago

Terrific meal! Cut the meat from a 4 lb leg, trimmed, seasoned it for an hour - done perfectly in 1 hr 15 mins - melt in your mouth - used different veg mix of snap peas, asparagus, carrots, parsnips and fennel - the combo worked well - blanched veg using the microwave for color and crunch - warming veg in butter added great taste - sprinkled parsley and fennel fronds over the lamb - lemon zest on veg, very fresh - won't hesitate to make this again! Next time, more fennel on lamb, I love it!

Preethi3 years ago

I followed the recipe pretty much exactly. Only think I did wad leave in the over extra 25 mins. The veggie were however very bland and felt it lacked flavour. I served the lambbwith couscous which complimented well.

db24 years ago

Do your mise en place and you will be rewarded! Bravo!!!

Gwen4 years ago

The recipe does not seem to describe how best to reheat the refrigerated lamb. I also found that 1:15 was not enough time to make the lamb tender. I continued for another 30 mins the next day. Since I did not have fennel seeds ( Covid 19 grocery stores ) or favs beans, I substituted caraway seeds and frozen peas.

s.martiny5 years ago

Used leg of lamb and simmered on top of the stove much longer. At least an hour longer the first day and another 45 minutes to an hour the next day -until very tender. This was not exactly a strategy but done because of time and oven resources. Made broth from the leg bone and used that for the liquid. Was delicious. Served leftovers with polenta.

Liz6 years ago

Can I substitute leg of lamb and simmer longer? If so, how much longer?

Anne6 years ago

DELICIOUS! I did have to substitute a couple of things due to lack of availability in my area but it all worked. Had to use boneless leg of lamb as no shoulder was available & there were no favas ( which I love ) available so I subbed sugar snap peas. The substitutions still worked beautifully. So fresh. We served it with tagliatelle. Really wonderful! Thanks so much!

Jean6 years ago

I made it with asparagus and sugar snap peas, added the last 20 minutes or so, instead of fennel bulb and turnips (not my favs). Either way, it has a lovely spring veggy taste.

J6 years ago

Loved this recipe - hit with the whole family ! Made it pretty much as called for except I just added the onions and garlic straight into the lamb once it was browned - didn't bother cooking in batches etc. Loved how the vegetables are not cooked in the stew - it gives them freshness and crunchiness.

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