Winter Lamb Stew With Spicy Sausage

This is not your typical stew; it’s a hearty winter stew made with lamb and spicy sausage. The pork, root vegetables, red wine, stock, and tomato are all standard ingredients, but the spicy sausage is what sets this dish apart. Those sausages the neighborhood butcher cooked for us? Strong energy was contained within it. I started sneezing like a maniac the second it hit the pan, and I had to open the window next to the stove to let some fresh air in.

However, the final stew was mild, with a consistent warmth that elevated a standard stew recipe to the next level.

Alright, let’s get down to the recipe.

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 ½ pounds of boneless lamb egg or lamb shoulder (chop into 1 ½ inch pieces)
• 1 pound of yukon gold potatoes (chop into large chunks)
• 1 pound of baby portabella mushrooms, quartered
• ½ pound of spicy Italian sausage
• 15 ounces of canned tomato sauce
• 6 sprigs thyme
• 6 cloves of garlic; smashed
• 2 large carrots (cut into large chunks)
• 1 large yellow onion; diced
• 2 ½ cups of beef broth
• 1 cup of red wine
• ¼ cup of all purpose flour
• ¼ cup of chopped parsley
• 2 tablespoons of olive oil
• Salt and pepper

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Pre-heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a big pot or Dutch oven set over medium heat. Fried sausages are best when cooked by first removing them from their casings and then frying them in oil. Put aside on a serving dish.
2. While everything is going on, toss the lamb cubes in a quarter cup of all-purpose flour and season with salt and pepper. Lamb, after being shook to remove excess flour, is added to the stew (reserve the flour for use later).
3. The lamb should be seared on all sides; it should not be turned over until it has browned. Take the lamb out of the stew and put it aside with the sausage.
4. Deglaze the pan with some water or stock, and then add the onion and garlic cloves. To achieve a translucent onion color, cook the onions and garlic in the oil and seasonings for around 5 minutes.
5. To the onions, sprinkle the remaining flour and mix to combine. The dish still needs one more minute on the stove.
6. Toss in the wine and broth, and lower the heat to a simmer. Then, return the lamb and sausage that have been seared to the pot and add the tomato sauce, carrots, potatoes, mushrooms, and thyme. Use salt and pepper to taste the stew. Reduce the heat to low and simmer, covered.
7. Simmer for 90 minutes after coming to a boil. Season the stew to your liking, then serve it over buttered noodles, topping each serving with chopped parsley.
8. You may put it over rice or mashed potatoes.