Lamb Stew with Caramelized Fennel and White Bean Puree
Recipe type: Main Dish, Stew
Serves: 6-8
 
Ingredients
For the meat:
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 3 lbs lamb shoulder, cut into 1 inch pieces, fat trimmed
  • 1 large onion, chopped
  • 1 head of garlic, peeled but cloves left whole
  • 2 tablespoons tomato paste
  • 1 tablespoon fresh thyme, chopped
  • 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary, chopped
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 2 cups red wine
  • ½-1 cup chicken or beef stock
  • salt and pepper to taste
For the white beans:
  • 2 cups white beans, dry
  • 1 sprig rosemary
  • 3 sprigs thyme
  • 1 bay leaf
  • salt and pepper
  • ½-1 cup chicken or beef stock
For the fennel:
  • 1 large fennel bulb, sliced thin
  • ¼ cup white wine
  • 2 tablespoons sugar
  • salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
To make the lamb:
  1. Preheat oven to 350.
  2. In a large dutch oven, heat olive oil. Add lamb pieces, taking care not to crowd, and sear on both sides. Do this in batches if needed. Remove lamb from pot.
  3. Add onion and garlic into dutch oven and cook until translucent, about 5 minutes. Stir in tomato paste and herbs. Add lamb back to pot, then add red wine. Bring to a boil, simmer, and let wine reduce by about ½.
  4. Add stock to cover the meat, if needed. Cover and transfer to oven. Bake for 35 minutes, then remove lid and bake an additional 25 minutes.
For the white beans:
  1. Soak white beans overnight in a large bowl of water.
  2. Transfer beans to a medium sized pot and cover with at least 2 inches of water. Add herbs, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and cover. Simmer for about 30-45 minutes, stirring and checking occasionally.
  3. Once cooked, strain the beans and let cool, slightly. Transfer to food processor and puree until smooth, adding a little broth if needed. Taste and adjust salt and pepper.
For the fennel:
  1. In a large pan, dissolve sugar in white wine. Cook until slightly caramelized, then add fennel. Make sure fennel is coated with sugar mixture and cook over medium heat for 10-15 minutes, until fennel softens.
  2. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
To assemble:
  1. Place some white bean puree in bottom of a shallow bowl. Top with lamb and sauce and then with fennel. Enjoy.
Recipe by Things I Made Today at https://www.thingsimadetoday.com/2014/02/20/lamb-stew-caramelized-fennel-white-bean-puree/