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Converting a Reluctant Eater to Lamb and Liver

As a child, I loved lamb chops. I would happily eat those tender, silver dollar-sized medallions, then chew on the bones. As for calf’s liver, we had it a couple of times a month, always with bacon and grilled onions and mashed potatoes. Sometimes we even had chicken livers.

I grew up eating lamb and calves’ liver. My husband could not bear the thought of either.

I convinced my husband to try calves’ liver. I marinated thin slices in milk for about an hour, dried the slices, and sautéed them in butter, then topped them with caramelized onions. Accompanied by buttery mashed potatoes with a few slices of bacon, he loved it. Then I made chicken livers sautéed in butter and Marsala over yellow rice. Another winner.

The lamb trick was easy. His mom grew up in a farm with sheep and chicken. She cooked what was really mutton, sautéed in a countertop frying pan until it was well done. One Easter I made roasted spring lamb with new potatoes and sweet peas. He was converted.

The recipe here, in an article called Spring Forward by brilliant Ina Garten, is so good that dessert is an anticlimax. It was good the day I made it, on a Thursday. I gave portions to friends and finished the last Tupperware container the following Tuesday. I will be making it again this coming weekend. I wish my husband were here to taste this deliciousness.

Lamb Stew with Spring Vegetables

Adapted from Food Network magazine, April 2017

Yield: Serves 6 to 8

2 tablespoons canola oil

¼ pound Applewood smoked bacon, 1-inch-dice

3 pounds boneless lamb shoulder, cut into 1-inch dice

Salt and pepper tossed in a plastic bag with ½ cup flour

2 tablespoons minced garlic (about 6 cloves)

2 cups canned beef stock, (I now use Knorr’s Homestyle

Stock, 1 packet stirred into 2 to 3 cups of boiling water)

1 cup full-bodied red wine (I had some Cabernet in the fridge)

14-ounce can diced tomatoes (I use Muir Glen diced or

crushed, if I can find it)

2 teaspoons minced fresh thyme leaves

2 teaspoons minced fresh rosemary leaves

1 pound carrots peeled and cut 2 inches thick diagonally

12 ounces small Yukon gold potatoes, 2-inch dice

1 package frozen pearl onions

1 package peeled cut turnips, (usually available in the

produce aisle)

2 tablespoons unsalted butter at room temperature

2 tablespoons flour

1 10-inch package frozen baby peas

½ cup chopped fresh parsley leaves

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Heat oil in a large ovenproof pot or Dutch oven, such as Le Creuset, over medium heat. Add bacon and cook for 5 minutes, until browned. Transfer to a large platter, leaving the fat in the pan. Dry the lamb with paper towels and toss in plastic bag with flour, salt, and pepper. Raise heat in pot to medium high and sear the first batch of meat (don’t crowd the pan) until slightly brown, about 5 minutes, turning occasionally. Add lamb to plate with bacon and brown the second (or third) batch. Add garlic to the pot and cook for 1 minute.

Pour lamb and bacon, along with any juices that collect, back into the pot. Add beef stock, wine, tomatoes (including the juice), thyme, rosemary, 2 teaspoons salt, and 1 tablespoon pepper and bring to a boil, scraping up the brown bits in the pot. Simmer for 5 minutes, cover, and place in the oven for 30 minutes. Add carrots, potatoes, onions, and turnips, cover and return to the oven for 1 ½ hours, until all vegetables are tender.

Mash the flour with the butter in a small bowl. Stir mixture into the stew and simmer on top of the stove for 3 minutes or a bit longer. Off the heat, stir in the peas and parsley, season to taste, and serve hot in large shallow bowls.