Try this hearty winter stew courtesy of a French wine dynasty.
The Cazes family, who brought us the L’Ostal Eclipse Minervois red wine, offered up this hearty recipe from their award-winning restaurant at Château Lynch Bages in Bordeaux. It’s a perfect pairing with any bold, spicy red wine, but also just a delightful, soul-warming winter dish.
Lamb Stew with Rosemary Dumplings
INGREDIENTS
FOR THE STEW
1.5 lb lamb stew meat, cut into 1-inch cubes
2 Tbsp flour
1 Tbsp olive oil
4 Tbsp butter
12 pearl onions, peeled
2 carrots, diced
1 rutabaga, diced
4 Tbsp white wine
2 sprigs rosemary
4 bay leaves
5 1⁄4 cups beef or lamb stock
FOR THE DUMPLINGS
9 Tbsp all-purpose flour
5 Tbsp lard or vegetable shortening
1⁄2 tsp baking powder
1 Tbsp rosemary, finely chopped
2 cups beef or lamb stock
Pinch of salt
INSTRUCTIONS
1. Preheat the oven to 250°F.
2. Season the lamb with salt and pepper, and dust with the flour. Place a heavy-bottom casserole dish over medium heat, add the olive oil and butter, then the lamb cubes. Sear on all sides until golden brown. Remove the lamb to a plate.
3. Reduce the heat and add the onions, carrots and rutabaga until caramelized. Add the wine and simmer until the liquid has reduced by half, then add the lamb, plus the 5¼ cups of stock. Bring the stew to a simmer then add the bay leaves and rosemary. Cover with a lid, transfer the dish to the oven and bake for one hour.
4. For the dumplings, use a fork to mix the flour, lard or vegetable shortening, baking powder, rosemary, and a pinch of salt in a bowl. Gradually stir in 3–5 tablespoons of cold water, or enough to form a sticky dough. Flour your hands and roll the dough into 12 small balls. Chill these in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
5. After the dumplings have chilled, place 2 cups of stock into a pan and bring to a simmer. Add the dumplings and simmer for 6–8 minutes. When the dumplings are cooked, remove them with a slotted spoon and set aside to rest for a minute. Discard the stock.
6. Divide dumplings and stew among four bowls, and garnish with parsley. Enjoy!
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