It'll Be Our Little Secret

Stews usually take time but this one takes an hour, start to finish.

As you know, I am a big lover of stew.  I love them all: beef, chicken, lamb, and anything else you can make into a stew.  To me, stews just epitomize winter and the hearty food that just sticks to your ribs (and your derriere).  But you know what?  It's cold outside and it's not as though any of us are going toe donning a bikini anytime soon, or at all.

Here's the thing about stews.  You have to have time.  Since they're usually made with, shall we say, a thriftier cut of meat, slow cooking is essential.  After all, who wants to eat tough stew meat.  Not me.  So you have to plan ahead and make sure you have at least a couple of hours to cook the stew over a low, slow heat.

But life is busy and sometimes the day just gets away from me.  I generally start out thinking that I'll fit everything in, but so often as the day winds down, I find that I've added more things to my to-do list than I've taken off.  And dinner is just hanging out there like a flag waving in the wind.  It's there but it's all too often forgotten.

What is so great about this recipe from Food & Wine is that it takes just about an hour start to finish.  That's it.  And it tastes as though it's been braising away for hours.  Just think about how you can fake your family out with this stick to your ribs delicious stew.  They'll think you slaved away for hours.  Take credit.  I won't tell if you don't.


Recipe: Provençal Lamb Stew with Basil
(Food & Wine, October, 2011)

Ingredients:


1 1/2 pounds trimmed boneless lamb shoulder, cut into 1-inch pieces
Salt and freshly ground pepper
5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 large shallots, finely chopped
3 anchovy fillets, chopped
1 tablespoon minced rosemary
5 garlic cloves, minced
1 pound baby red potatoes, halved
1 cup dry rosé
1/2 cup pitted green olives
3 tablespoons chopped basil

Directions:


Season the lamb with salt and pepper. In a large, heavy Dutch oven, heat 3 tablespoons of the oil. Add the lamb and cook over moderately high heat until browned, 12 minutes; using a slotted spoon, transfer to a plate.
Add the shallots, anchovies, rosemary and most of the garlic to the Dutch oven and cook over moderate heat, stirring, until the shallots are softened, 5 minutes. Stir in the potatoes and cook just until browned in spots, 2 minutes. Add the rosé and cook until nearly evaporated, scraping up any browned bits, 5 minutes. Add the lamb and any accumulated juices, the olives and 2 cups of water and bring to a boil. Cover and simmer over moderately low heat until the lamb is tender and the potatoes are cooked through, 50 minutes.
In a bowl, mash the remaining minced garlic to a paste. Stir in the chopped basil and the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Stir the mixture into the stew and serve.