Navarin
A classic French lamb stew, this happy marriage of fruit and meat is updated here by the addition of a bit of orange, which enlivens the flavor. The peas and potatoes are an optional accompaniment; you could serve this with mashed potatoes or a potato gratin like the one on page 482.
Recipe information
Yield
makes 4 servings
Ingredients
Preparation
Step 1
Preheat the oven to 375°F. Season the lamb liberally with salt and pepper, then dredge it lightly in the flour. Heat the olive oil in a lidded large deep skillet or flameproof casserole over medium-high heat. When the oil is shimmering, add the lamb (working in batches, if necessary) and brown evenly on all sides, 10 to 15 minutes. Remove the meat from the pan and discard the fat. (You can also do the initial browning in the oven; see the headnote for Lamb Pilaf with Cinnamon, page 412.)
Step 2
Return the pan to the stove and add the butter, onion, carrots, and celery (you can add the garlic at this stage if you want a stronger garlic flavor in the dish). Cook over medium heat, stirring, until the vegetables soften and just begin to color, about 10 minutes.
Step 3
Squeeze the orange juice into the pan, scraping to get all the browned bits off the bottom of the pan, then add the meat, garlic, and thyme. Stick the clove through one of the halves of the juiced orange, reserving the other; add it and enough stock to barely cover the contents of the pan. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and reduce to a simmer. Cover and transfer to the oven.
Step 4
Check the pan after 10 minutes to make sure it isn’t boiling; if it is, lower the heat to 300°F. Cook for an hour or more, as necessary, until the meat is tender and the liquid in the pan has reduced slightly.
Step 5
Remove the pan from the oven and transfer the braised meat to a platter or cutting board to rest. Strain the sauce, pressing on the vegetables to extract as much liquid as possible, then put the sauce in a pan on the stove and reduce it over high heat until thickened considerably. Discard the vegetables and the orange half. Warm the peas and potatoes in the sauce briefly, then divide them and the lamb among 4 serving plates. Pour the sauce through a strainer over each of the 4 portions. Zest the remaining half of the juiced orange and garnish each plate with a pinch of the zest. Serve immediately.
