Navarin d'Agneau is a classic French recipe for Spring Lamb stew. Flavorful braised lamb is sublime in a rich, velvety sauce with tender spring vegetables. One of the easiest and quickest French stews to make, it is a favorite for Sunday supper or a special occasion such as Mother's Day.
TL;DR
- What is it? French Spring Lamb Stew - Navarin D'Agneau
- How you'll make it? Braised lamb pieces cooked in white wine and demi glace in a dutch oven for 2 hours
- Why you will love it? The most succulent, melt-in-your-mouth lamb stew with fresh spring vegetables.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Bake Time: 2 hours
- Total Time: 2.5 hours start to finish (no marinating time required)
- Servings: 6-8
- Cook Method: Sear then Bake at 375°F
- Difficulty: Easy to Moderate. It is super easy if you ask the butcher to cut the lamb in 2 inch pieces first. Your oven does all the work!
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In my kitchen, this is a dish I prepare when I want something both comforting and elegant. It is rustic, yes, but also refined in its technique. The lamb becomes meltingly tender, the sauce rich and silky, and the vegetables vibrant and full of life. This recipe is naturally gluten free.
This stew was reportedly inspired by the French naval fleet's victory in Navarino Bay in the Peloponnese in the 1800s. Fun fact, Le Chef and I celebrated our honeymoon on Navarino Bay in Greece so I feel particularly attached to this recipe.
Why You Will Love This Recipe
- A classic of French cuisine that feels effortlessly elegant
- One of the simplest French stews to master
- An iconic French Spring Recipes
- A perfect balance of rich braised lamb and fresh spring vegetables
- Ideal for entertaining or a cozy family meal
- This recipe is naturally gluten-free
Ingredients
For the Lamb Stew
- 3.5 lbs lamb neck meat, cut into 2-inch pieces (you can ask your local butcher to do this for you, as well as trim off the extra fat)
- 2 shallots, sliced
- 4 cloves garlic, chopped
- 6 sprigs fresh thyme
- ½ cup tomato paste
- 2 cups water
- 1 cup veal or beef demi-glace
- 1.5 cups dry white wine (Pinot Gris or Sauvignon Blanc work beautifully)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
For the Spring Vegetables
- 10 small carrots
- 8 mini zucchini
- 4 patty pan squash
- 2 cups snap peas
How to Make Navarin d'Agneau
Step 1: Sear the Lamb
Preheat your oven to 375°F.
In a large dutch oven, (like this Le Creuset 6.5 QT Dutch Oven in the color Provence*) heat the olive oil and sear the lamb pieces in batches until beautifully golden on all sides. Do not overcrowd the pan-this is where flavor begins.
Set the lamb aside.
Step 2: Build the Base
In the same braiser, add the shallots, garlic, and two sliced carrots. Sauté gently until softened and fragrant, allowing them to absorb all the caramelized bits from the lamb.
Stir in the tomato paste and let it cook slightly to deepen its richness.
Step 3: Deglaze & Braise
Pour in the white wine and scrape the bottom of the pan to release all the flavor.
Return the lamb to the braiser. Add the thyme, demi-glace, and water. The liquid should generously cover the meat.
Transfer to the oven, uncovered, and let it cook slowly for 2 hours, allowing the sauce to reduce and the lamb to become irresistibly tender.
Halfway through, gently stir and scrape down the sides.
Step 4: Prepare the Vegetables
About 20 minutes before the stew is ready, blanch the vegetables separately in salted boiling water, then transfer immediately to ice water.
This step preserves their color, texture, and freshness-an essential contrast to the rich stew.
Blanching times:
- Carrots: 8 minutes
- Patty pan squash: 8 minutes
- Mini zucchini: 5 minutes
- Snap peas: 3 minutes
Step 5: Finish the Stew
Remove the braiser from the oven-your kitchen will smell incredible.
Skim off excess fat from the surface. Lamb is naturally rich, and this keeps the sauce balanced.
If you prefer a thicker sauce, simmer gently on the stovetop for an additional 10 minutes. My preference was to make this recipe naturally gluten-free. You can add flour to the meat when browning to make for a thicker sauce but it is not necessary in my opinion - simply spoon the rich gravy over your lamb pieces.
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To Serve
Spoon the lamb and sauce into shallow bowls. Arrange the vegetables around the stew and finish with another ladle of sauce to gently rewarm them.
Sprinkle with French sea salt and freshly chopped parsley.
Serve immediately, ideally with a glass of the same white wine you used for cooking.
Le Chef's Notes
- This dish tastes even better the next day, the flavors deepen beautifully.
- Always blanch vegetables separately to maintain their integrity.
- Choose a high-acid white wine to balance the richness of the lamb.
- Serve with crusty bread to soak up every last drop of sauce.
Frequently Asked Questions
Ah, Navarin d'Agneau is not just a stew, it is a celebration of the season. It is a classic French dish made with tender spring lamb, gently simmered with young vegetables like carrots, zucchini, and peas. In spring, everything is fresh, sweet, and delicate, just like the dish itself. It feels like opening the windows after a long winter.
Always choose cuts that enjoy a slow, patient cook. Shoulder or neck is perfect. These cuts may seem humble, but given time, they become meltingly tender and full of flavor. A good stew is never rushed.
Oh yes, absolutely. Browning is where the magic begins. That golden crust builds the foundation of flavor. The little caramelized bits at the bottom of the pot are treasures. Skip this step, and your stew will be polite, but never memorable.
Other French Stew Recipes you will Enjoy
Final Thoughts
Navarin d'Agneau is more than a recipe, it is a celebration of seasonality, simplicity, and French culinary tradition. It invites you to slow down, to cook with intention, and to gather around the table.
Bon appétit,
Le Chef's Wife
Navarin d'Agneau (Spring Lamb Stew)
- Prep Time: 30
- Cook Time: 2 hours
- Total Time: 2 hours 30 minutes
- Yield: 6-8 1x
- Category: Dinner, Mains
- Method: Baking, braised
- Cuisine: French
- Diet: Gluten-Free
Description
Navarin d'Agneau, a French Spring Lamb Stew that results in tender pieces of lamb in a decadent gravy served with fresh spring vegetables.
This recipe is naturally gluten free.
Ingredients
3.5 lbs lamb neck meat, chopped into 2-inch pieces (you can ask your local butcher to do this for you, as well as trim off the extra fat)
10 small carrots
8 mini zucchini
4 patty pan squash
2 cups snap peas
2 shallots, sliced
4 cloves garlic, chopped
6 sprigs fresh thyme
½ cup tomato paste
2 cups water
1 cup veal or beef demi-glace
1.5 cups dry white wine. A high-acid white wine such as Pinot Gris or Sauvignon Blanc works beautifully here.
1 tablespoon olive oil
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 375°F.
- In a 6.5-quart Le Creuset Provence braiser, sear the pieces of lamb on all sides. You don't want to crowd the lamb or it won't sear-do this in batches.
- Once the lamb is seared, set the meat aside in a bowl. In the same braiser, add the chopped garlic, sliced shallots, and 2 carrots, sliced. Sauté until the shallots become translucent, mixing with all the lamb juices left on the bottom of the braiser.
- Mix in the tomato paste.
- Deglaze the pan with the wine, making sure to scrape all of the flavor off the bottom with a silicone spatula.
- Add the lamb pieces back into the braiser along with the thyme, veal demi-glace, and water. There should be a generous amount of liquid covering the meat. The sauce will reduce beautifully in the braiser.
- Place the braiser, uncovered, on the middle rack of the oven for 2 hours.
- Halfway through, stir the lamb, taking extra care to scrape the flavorful bits off the sides of the pan into the sauce with a silicone spatula or basting brush.
- Twenty minutes before the lamb is ready, blanch your vegetables. For this, I like to set up a couple of pots on the stove with salted boiling water. Blanch each type of vegetable separately, then immediately transfer to a bowl of ice water to stop the cooking process. This preserves vibrant color, locks in flavor, and prevents the vegetables from becoming mushy.
- Recommended blanching times:
Small carrots, peeled: 8 minutes
Patty pan squash: 8 minutes
Mini zucchini: 5 minutes
Snap peas: 3 minutes - Once the two hours are up, remove the braiser from the oven, your kitchen will smell incredible!
- With a ladle, skim the fat off the top of the stew and discard. Lamb is a fatty meat, and you don't need the extra layer of fat on top.
- If you want the liquid to reduce further, you can place the braiser directly back on the stovetop over medium heat and let it simmer for 10 minutes, being very careful not to let it burn. That said, you can also simply use a strainer to remove the lamb pieces from the sauce, it is incredibly flavorful and tender.
- Spoon about a cup of stew into each plate. Arrange the sliced, blanched vegetables around the stew, then top with another ladle of sauce. The heat from the sauce will gently rewarm the vegetables.
- Serve with a sprinkling of French sea salt and chopped parsley.
- Bon appétit!
- For more easy and authentic French recipes, visit lechefswife.com
Notes
Other French Stew Recipes you will enjoy:
ALL ABOUT LE CHEF'S WIFE
Bonjour! I am Anina Belle. I translate the fancy cooking of my Michelin-star trained French Chef Husband, Le Chef, into easy to make dishes that busy people with no culinary training (like me!) can make at home. We have two young kids (8 and 5) and I run a marketing firm and a non-profit in addition to this blog. I strongly believe that even busy people deserve to eat well at home.
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Tammy Nicholas says
This is a wonderful stew. The spring vegetables really lighten the dish. I added a touch of vinegar at the end; you could add a squeeze of lemon. And the colors are nice and vibrant because of the blanching. Delicious.