1. What exactly is Navarin d’Agneau, and why is it so loved in spring?

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.

2. What cut of lamb should I use for the best flavor?

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.

3. Do I really need to brown the lamb first?

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.

Navarin d’Agneau (Spring Lamb Stew)

Name: Navarin d’Agneau (Spring Lamb Stew)
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 2 h
Total time: 2 h 30 min
Cuisine: French
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

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

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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: