Navarin printanier (Lamb stew)

 

                A navarin is a stew in which mutton (nowadays lamb), potatoes and turnip are the principal ingredients. This recipe also includes the young vegetables of spring ; this is also reflected in its name. Breast or shoulder of lamb or mutton was used in the original dish, but modern cooks prefer to use a well-trimmed leg of lamb.

                Traditionally the vegetables are turned into the oval shape we see in the classic French dishes, but these days the demands of time and convenience dictate that it is more practical to dice the vegetables or to cut them into thick matchsticks.

Serves 8

• 30 ml vegetable oil
• 1 kg (2 lb) leg of lamb, trimmed of fat and cut into large cubes
• 500 ml lamb or chicken stock
• 30 ml tomato paste
• 6 small new potatoes, peeled and turned, cut into thick matchsticks or diced
• 6 small carrots, prepared as above
• 16 small pickling onions
• 3 small white turnips, prepared as above
• Salt and ground black pepper, to taste
• 250 ml green beans, cut into 1 inch (2.5 cm) pieces
• 250 ml green peas
• 125 ml finely chopped parsley

1. Heat the oil in a heavy pan, then brown the meat on all sides ; transfer it to a large heavy-based saucepan.
2. Pour off the fat in the pan and discard, then add the stock, stirring in tomato paste ; heat to boiling, then add to the saucepan with the meat.
3. Cover and simmer gently at constant heat for about 1 hour ; add the potatoes, carrots, onions, turnips and salt and pepper, cover the pot and simmer for an additional hour.
4. Prepare a saucepan of boiling water, add the beans and peas and remove after 1 minute, then refresh in cold water ; drain and set aside.
5. When the lamb and the root vegetables are cooked, skim off as much fat as possible and gently stir in the beans and peas ; reheat gently until warmed through and serve at once, sprinkled with the finely chopped parsley.

Try a Pomerol or Saint-Émilion.

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