It's officially Spring!
It always manages to creep up on me. It's as if even though the logical part of my brain knows its spring - it's that time in March, I get used to the cold dreary days and then all of a sudden out of the blue, blue skies and the scent of orange blossoms! Everywhere!
There's nothing quite like the sweet scent of
orange blossoms & it gets me every time. I take deep breathes the
moment I step outside!
I have been waiting eagerly on the precipice between winter & spring because do I have some very special meals in store for you. Some classics and some based on sheer imagination let loose on the culinary slopes!
So here comes one of my favorite gastronomic delights - a very special French classic, Lamb Navarin D'Agneau Printanier which is Lamb Navarin with Spring Vegetables.
When Chef Robin White quite out of the blue did me the honor of asking me to appear as a Guest Author on her blog and specifically asked me to work on something 'spring ' I just knew I couldn't pass up the opportunity to do this French Classic.
Now, its a very big deal for me that Chef Robin asked me to do this blog post. She wears many hats as a Restaurateur, Consultant, Wine Pairing expert & Teacher of the Culinary Arts. I first became acquainted with her when I read her marvelous article on Finishing Salts. I have never delved into these and if it were not for her & Chef Keller at the French Laundry, I would have continued in my state of oblivion.
I have often said that I lack the gene that allows me to follow a recipe to the 'T'. In fact I wouldn't begin to know how to do that. I think it has something to do with the fact that especially when it comes to the French cooking, I approach it with the same mindset I approached my thesis as a graduate student. I research, deconstruct the argument recipe, look for similarities and differences and then reconstruct the recipe in my own light.
Two culinary giants & a humble me are in the kitchen for this rendition of Navarin D'Agneau Printanier. My favorite person when it comes to French cooking, Richard Grausman's recipe from his book At Home with the French Classics, Le Cordon Bleu's recipe for this & moi, calling out to the culinary Gods to smile on me as we journey into the world of Navarin D'Agneau Printanier.
Lamb Navarin is a stew with lamb, turnips, carrots & potatoes. What takes it from Lamb Navarin to Lamb Navarin Printanier is the addition of spring vegetables namely pre-cooked french beans (very thin green beans) and shelled green peas.
Please do not omit the turnips because it would it would no longer be Navarin. In fact take it from someone who has suffered from turnip nightmares growing up. If only my mother had cooked it this way, I'd have eaten the entire field of turnips without any fuss!
The main ingredients for this dish are - Lamb (technically shoulder is to be used) but I have Australian leg of lamb just because its easily available at a Costco or local butcher.
Also, turnips, carrots, pearl onions, baby waxy potatoes, fresh tomato, onion, leeks (which is my addition) tomato paste, beef broth, dry white wine, all-purpose flour, fresh thyme sprigs, parsley for garnish & of course the spring vegetables - french green beans & shelled (frozen) green peas.
Also a bouquet garni with fresh or dried thyme, parsley & bay leaves. I use the Grausman method for the bouquet garni and therefore also require celery. Details are coming up.
Prepare the ingredients -
Turnips - Peel, discard top & bottom knobs & cut into quarters.
Carrots - Peel & cut into 1-1/2" thick lengths. Discard the top.
Onion - Peel,
discard the skin. Halve, & then place in a mini-chopper and finely chop.
Cook's Note - Interestingly, Grausman does not use onions in his recipe but Cordon Bleu does & I do like onion.
Leeks - Discard root tip. Halve and slice into 1/4" thick semi-circles. Use only the white & light green parts. Discard the thick dark green portion & leaves.
Garlic
- Peel & chop cloves. Set aside.
Parsley - Discard the stalks. Finely chop the leaves and set aside.
Baby red potatoes - Wash, cut away any 'eyes' or brown spots & peel. Set aside.
Pearl onions - I simply don't have the patience to peel miniature onions so I found a shortcut that works really well.
Bring 2 cups of
water to an angry boil. Drop in the pearl onions and boil for 3
minutes. Sieve and discard the water.
Under gently running cold tap water, peel the onions using a knife to cut off the root tip.
Cook's Note- It is very important to not cut above the root tip or the entire onion will fall apart as the layers separate.
Measure & set aside - the all-purpose flour, tomato paste, beef stock & dry white wine.
Lamb - If you purchased a boneless leg of lamb like I did, then use a kitchen scale and separate 2 lbs of meat from the rest. Return the rest of the meat to the refrigerator for use in a later recipe. Do not refreeze if the meat has been defrosted from the freezer.
Cut
away the thick skin if attached from the meat.
Cut the lamb into 1-1/2" cubes. Place on a kitchen paper towel. Cover with another piece of paper towel and press so all the moisture is absorbed. The meat will not brown if it is damp.
For
Bouquet Garni -
Using the
Grausman method - Take 2 stalks of celery approx 4-5 inches long but
of
equal lengths. Place fresh or dried thyme in one of the celery hollows
(what else would u call it?) Place the bay leaves covering the thyme
followed by sprigs of fresh parsley.
Interlock
the two celery sticks together squishing
together all the herbs and tie the 2 halves together with kitchen
twine. There you have it - bouquet garni without the cheesecloth.
I have used this method time and time again over decades and it works
well every time.
Use a heavy bottom pan, dutch oven or a copper saute pan as in my case.
On high heat, bring vegetable oil to fuming. In a single layer, add the lamb chunks to the pan. Brown on each side, then flip over an brown on the other side. This should take about 10 minutes for each batch & may need to be cooked in 2 batches. Do not over crowd the pan.
Once golden brown, remove the meat &
set aside while you cook the second batch of meat.
To the
saute pan add the garlic, sliced leeks & chopped onions. Saute
for about 2 minutes on medium heat till slightly softened.
Add the browned lamb and saute for another minute. Add the all-purpose flour and saute for on medium heat for about 3-5 minutes until the flour is all spongy & begin to stick to the bottom of the pan.
Add the beef stock,white wine, bouquet garni, chopped tomatoes, tomato paste & fresh thyme sprigs.
Cook's Note - The Grausman recipe calls for beef stock as opposed to Le Cordon Bleu recipe which calls for hot water. Of course I prefer adding beef stock except I have added 4 cups instead of the called for 3 cups.
Also Grausman does not use fresh tomatoes in his recipe but Le Cordon Bleu does and I think its always a nice addition to a stew. However, I have reduced the quantity of tomatoes since I think the tart from the tomato paste will be strong enough. Also, I have reduced the quantity of onions as well. I find that use of onion in excess will turn the dish sweet which I don't think that's appropriate here.
On medium-high heat bring the stock to simmer. Cover with a tight fitting lid and allow to cook undisturbed on low heat for 1 hour.
Meanwhile prepare the remaining vegetables -
In a saute pan, heat 2 tbs salted butter & add the carrots.
Saute on medium heat for about 3-5 minutes, shaking the pan frequently so the carrots brown on all sides. Remove the carrots with a slotted spoon and set aside on a plate.
In the same pan saute the pearl onions & turnips for another 3-5 minutes or so or until they are browned on all sides. Shake the pan frequently so the onions & turnips begin to glaze & are brown on all sides. Remove them to the same plate with the carrots along with all the butter in the pan.
Green peas - Measure out the frozen green peas.
Green French beans - For aesthetic reasons, I only string from the top woody bit. I leave the end intact. Especially because these are succulent young green beans, this will be OK. If you are using tough green beans then string from both ends.
Set aside the green peas & the green beans ready to use.
After the stew has been cooking an hour, give the stew a good stir & add potatoes & the carrots. Stir & replace the tight fitting lid.
Cook's Note - In both the traditional recipes, the potatoes are cooked separately and added to the stew at the every end. I see no reason for this. If anything the potatoes are going to taste only better cooking in the stew (and I was right)
After 1/2 hour, give the stew a good stir & add the turnips & the pearl onions. Stir & replace the tight fitting lid.
Mean while bring a pot of water, about 3 cups to an angry boil with 1 tsp salt. This takes about 15 minutes.
Add the green french beans and cook for about 5-7 minutes. Drain in a sieve, discarding excess water. Add the beans & peas to the stew. Stir. Replace the tight fitting lid & cook for 5 minutes.
Test the green beans & give it another 5 minutes if needed. In my case the beans were cooked after 5 minutes but since the quality of the beans varies, check to ascertain. Also, pierce one of every vegetable & thick piece of lamb to ensure it is all cooked.
Total cooking time was about 2 hours. Discard the thyme sprigs & the bouquet garni.
Cook's Note - If you are
preparing to serve this the next day do not add the green beans &
peas until the stew has been reheated thoroughly just before serving
time the next day. I do however want to point out that I liked it best the same evening even though it may be against norm.
Taste & adjust seasonings and Serve hot.
The stew can be serve in individual soup plates or in a tureen or deep large platter . Garnish with fresh chopped parsley .
This stew is absolutely delicious and is just as hearty & soul enriching for family as it will be for fine dining. Serve with crusty bread and a glass of excellent burgundy.
The gravy in the stew is rich, thick and infused with the the flavors of the herbs, seasoning & root vegetables. The scent from the turnips is distinct, heady & the flavor in the root vegetables which have absorbed all the wine & the meat juices is absolutely delicious. The turnips even more so!
What better a way to invite the goodness of spring into your home than with Navarin D'Agneau Printanier ?
Recipe for
Navarin D'Agneau Printanier {Lamb Navarin with Spring Vegetables}
Preparation time - 30 minutes
Cooking time - 2 hours
2 lbs boneless leg of lamb (I used Australian)
1 large onion (to get about 1-1/4 cups chopped)
1 leek
3 garlic cloves
18 pearl onions
16 baby red (waxy) potatoes
3 large carrots3 medium turnips
1/4 lb fresh green french beans (thin variety)
1/2 cup frozen shelled green peas
4 tbs vegetable oil
2 tbs salted butter
1 carton (1 litre) beef stock
3 tbs all-purpose flour
1 tsp
salt
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
4-5 fresh thyme sprig
6-7 sprigs parsley (enough to get 1 tbs chopped leaves)
Bouquet Garni
2 fresh thyme sprig or 1/2 tsp dried thyme
5 parsley sprigs
2 bay leaves
Preparation-
Carrots - Peel & cut into 1-1/2" thick lengths. Discard the top.
Onion
- Peel,
discard the skin. Halve, & then place in a mini-chopper and finely
chop.
Cook's Note - Interestingly, Grausman does not
use onions in his recipe but Cordon Bleu does & I do like onion.
Leeks - Discard root tip. Halve and slice into 1/4" thick semi-circles. Use only the white & light green parts. Discard the thick dark green portion & leaves.
Garlic
- Peel & chop cloves. Set aside.
Parsley - Discard the stalks. Finely chop the leaves and set aside.
Baby red potatoes - Wash, cut away any 'eyes' or brown spots & peel. Set aside.
Pearl onions - I simply don't have the patience to peel miniature onions so I found a shortcut that works really well.Bring 2 cups of
water to an angry boil. Drop in the pearl onions and boil for 3
minutes. Sieve and discard the water.
Under gently running cold tap water, peel the onions using a knife to cut off the root tip.
Measure
& set aside - the all-purpose flour, tomato paste, beef stock
& dry white wine.
Cut
away the thick skin if attached from the meat.
Cut the lamb into 1-1/2" cubes. Place on a kitchen paper towel. Cover with another piece of paper towel and press so all the moisture is absorbed. The meat will not brown if it is damp.
For
Bouquet Garni - Take 2 stalks of celery approx 4-5 inches long but
of
equal lengths. Place fresh or dried thyme in one of the celery hollows
(what else would u call it?) Place the bay leaves covering the thyme
followed by sprigs of fresh parsley.
Interlock the two celery sticks together squishing together all the herbs and tie the 2 halves together with kitchen twine. There you have it - bouquet garni without the cheesecloth. I have used this method time and time again over decades and it works well every time.
Cooking method -
Use a heavy bottom pan, dutch oven or a copper saute pan.On high heat, bring vegetable oil to fuming. In a single layer, add the lamb chunks to the pan. Brown on each side, then flip over an brown on the other side. This should take about 10 minutes for each batch & may need to be cooked in 2 batches. Do not over crowd the pan.
Once golden brown, remove the meat &
set aside while you cook the second batch of meat.
To the saute pan add the garlic, sliced leeks & chopped onions. Saute for about 2 minutes on medium heat till slightly softened.
Add the browned lamb and saute for another minute. Add the all-purpose flour and saute for on medium heat for about 3-5 minutes until the flour is all spongy & begin to stick to the bottom of the pan.
Add the beef stock,white wine, bouquet garni,
chopped tomatoes, tomato paste & fresh thyme sprigs.
On medium-high heat bring the stock to simmer. Cover with a tight fitting lid and allow to cook undisturbed on low heat for 1 hour.
Meanwhile prepare the
remaining vegetables. In a saute pan, heat 2 tbs salted butter & add the
carrots.
Saute on medium heat for about 3-5 minutes, shaking the pan frequently so the carrots brown on all sides. Remove the carrots with a slotted spoon and set aside on a plate.
In the same pan saute the pearl onions & turnips
for another 3-5 minutes or so or until they are browned on all sides. Shake the pan frequently so the onions
& turnips begin to glaze & are brown on all sides. Remove them
to the same plate with the carrots along with all the butter in the pan.
Green peas - Measure out the frozen green peas.
Green French beans - For aesthetic reasons, I only string from the top woody bit. I leave the end intact. Especially because these are succulent young green beans, this will be OK. If you are using tough green beans then string from both ends.
Set
aside the green peas & the green beans ready to use.
After the
stew has been cooking an hour, give the stew a good stir & add
potatoes & the carrots. Stir & replace the tight fitting lid.
Cook's Note - In both the traditional recipes, the potatoes are cooked separately and added to the stew at the every end. I see no reason for this. If anything the potatoes are going to taste only better cooking in the stew (and I was right)
After 1/2 hour, give the stew a good stir & add the turnips & the pearl onions. Stir & replace the tight fitting lid.
Mean while bring a pot of water, about 3 cups to an
angry boil with 1 tsp salt. This takes about 15 minutes.
Add the green french beans and cook for about 5-7 minutes. Drain in a sieve, discarding excess water. Add the beans & peas to the stew. Stir. Replace the tight fitting lid & cook for 5 minutes.
Test the green beans & give it another 5 minutes if needed. In my case the beans were cooked after 5 minutes but since the quality of the beans varies, check to ascertain. Also, pierce one of every vegetable & thick piece of lamb to ensure it is all cooked.
Total cooking time was
about 2 hours. Discard the thyme sprigs & the bouquet garni.
Cook's Note - If you are preparing to serve this the next day do not add the green beans & peas until the stew has been reheated thoroughly just before serving time the next day.
Taste & adjust seasonings and Serve hot.
Enjoy!
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