Navarin of Lamb

French bistro classics from Martha Stewart’s Cooking School… Join Martha as she re-creates four French bistro recipes you can make at home, including lamb navarin, Niçoise salad, croque monsieur, and celery-root remoulade.

Serves 8

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
  • 3 ½ pounds boneless lamb shoulder, cut into 1-inch cubes
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
  • 2 medium onions, diced (3 cups)
  • 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup dry white wine
  • 2 cups Homemade Beef Stock (recipes follows)
  • 1 cup canned whole tomatoes with juice, seeded and crushed
  • 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary, chopped
  • 1 tablespoon fresh thyme, chopped
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1/2 8-ounce package pearl onions (about 24)
  • 16 baby carrots or 4 large carrots
  • ½ pound baby turnips or 2 large turnips or 5 small turnips
  • 1 ½ cups peas
  • 1/2 pound young string beans or haricot verts, stems trimmed
  • For the Beefstock:
    • MAKES 6 QUARTS
    • 8 sprigs fresh flat-leaf parsley
    • 6 sprigs fresh thyme or 3/4 teaspoon dried thyme
    • 4 sprigs fresh rosemary or 2 teaspoons dried rosemary
    • 2 dried bay leaves
    • 1 tablespoon whole black peppercorns
    • 1 pound beef-stew meat, cubed
    • 5 pounds veal bones, sawed into smaller pieces
    • 1 large onion, peel on, quartered
    • 2 large carrots, cut into thirds
    • 2 stalks celery, cut into thirds
    • 2 cups dry red wine

Method

  1. In a large Dutch-oven, heat vegetable oil over medium-high heat. Season lamb with salt and pepper. Working in batches, cook lamb in a single layer until well browned on all sides, about 8 minutes per batch.
  2. Return all of the lamb to Dutch-oven, add garlic and diced onions, and cook until onions are soft, 6 minutes. Add flour, and cook until it is well browned, 2 minutes.
  3. Add wine, and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, scraping browned bits from the bottom and sides of pan. Add stock, tomatoes, rosemary, thyme, and bay leaf. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low; cover, and cook until meat is tender, 1 1/2 to 2 hours.
  4. Remove meat; place in a large bowl, and set aside. Reduce sauce over high heat until thickened, about 10 minutes. Adjust seasonings. Skim off any fat. Strain sauce over meat, discarding solids; return meat and sauce to casserole. (The navarin can be made ahead up to this point. Cover and refrigerate for up to 2 days. Reheat and continue as directed.)
  5. Bring a small saucepan of water to a boil, and add pearl onions. Boil 2 minutes, and drain. When cool enough to handle, peel and set aside. Peel baby carrots; trim tops to 1/4 inch. Repeat with baby turnips. If using large carrots and turnips, peel and cut into 1/2-inch pieces. Add onions, turnips and carrots to casserole and simmer, covered, for 30 minutes. Add peas, and simmer 10 minutes more, or until vegetables are tender.
  6. Blanch beans until bright green and still crisp about 5 minutes, then drain. Serve and scatter beans atop each serving.
  7. FOR THE BEEFSTOCK:
    1. Heat the oven to 450 degrees. Make a bouquet garni by wrapping parsley, thyme, rosemary, bay leaves, and peppercorns in a piece of cheesecloth. Tie with kitchen twine, and set aside. Arrange meat, veal bones, onion, carrots, and celery in an even layer in a heavy roasting pan. Roast, turning every 20 minutes, until the vegetables and the bones are deep brown, about 1 1/2 hours. Transfer the meat, bones, and vegetables to a large stockpot, and set aside. Pour off the fat from the roasting pan, and discard. Place the pan over high heat on the stove. Add wine, and use a wooden spoon to scrape up the brown bits; boil until the wine has reduced by half, about 5 minutes. Pour all of the liquid into the stockpot.
    2. Add 6 quarts of cold water to the stockpot, or more if needed to cover bones. Do not add less water. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a very gentle simmer. Add the reserved bouquet garni. Liquid should just bubble up to surface. Skim the foam from the surface, and discard. Simmer over the lowest possible heat for 3 hours; a skin will form on the surface of the liquid; skim off with a slotted spoon, and discard. Repeat as needed. Add water if at any time the level drops below the bones.
    3. Strain the stock through a fine sieve into a large bowl. Discard the solids. Transfer the bowl to an ice bath, and let cool to room temperature. Transfer to airtight containers. Refrigerate for at least 8 hours, or overnight. Stock may be refrigerated for 3 days or frozen for 4 months. If storing, leave fat layer intact to seal the stock. Before using, remove the fat that has collected on the surface.