Tuscan Lamb Stew with Artichokes
I’m working at an Italian restaurant now, and doing a sort of study of Italian regional cuisines on my own time. My goal is to learn the similarities and differences between each of the Italian regions, before I move on to my next job, in either a French or Mediterranean restaurant.
The food of Tuscany, the green, fertile region in central Italy, is simple, humble, and delicious. The main guiding principle of the cuisine is to highlight the quality of its ingredients, without masking any of their flavors. This lamb stew with artichokes is a good example. It’s a very simple braised dish, and requires absolutely fresh lamb and tender baby artichokes. The dish is very simply flavored, with garlic, rosemary, stock, bay leaf and thyme, and lemon. Because lamb is so tender, its a fast braise, and the whole dish can be prepared in under an hour. That is, if you’ve got your skills honed at trimming artichokes.
I feel that’s a very useful skill to work on, as artichokes add such delicious flavor to a range of dishes, from meats and poultry to soups to pastas. They can at first be tedious to trim, but once you get some practice, you can do them without thinking, and then you’ll enjoy cooking with them more. At first I often found the task frustrating, but I got a lot of practice at work as we use artichokes many different ways: raw, on our chicken spiedini (skewer) dish; braised, for a crostini topping; and fried, in an antipasto of fried fennel and eggplant slices.
Braising the lamb in dark chicken stock with garlic and rosemary
I finished the dish by straining and slightly reducing the braising liquid, and using it as a sauce. I also drizzled a little Balsamic vinegar around the edge of the plate, as well as a little extra-virgin olive oil and a bit of sea salt.
Heat & Knives
The Recipe
Source: Simply Tuscan: Recipes for a Well-Lived Life
½ cup extra virgin olive oil
2 whole cloves garlic
2 sprigs fresh rosemary
2 pounds lamb stew meat (leg or shoulder), cut into 1-inch cubes
salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
2 cups lamb, veal, or chicken stock, plus 1 cup if needed
12 baby artichokes, tops and outer leaves trimmed off, cut into 4 or 6 pieces each, and soaked in 2 quarts water combined with the juice of 1 lemon
1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
1 bay leaf
grated zest of 1 lemon
In a wide, lidded casserole over medium-high heat, warm the olive oil. Add the garlic and rosemary sprigs and cook until the garlic turns golden, about 3 minutes. Turn the heat up to high and add the lamb. Sear on all sides. Season with salt and pepper.
Reduce the heat to low, add 2 cups of the stock, cover, and simmer for about 30 minutes, until the lamb is tender, adding a little stock if necessary to keep the lamb three quarters covered with liquid.
Drain the artichokes and add them to the pot, along with the thyme and bay leaf. Cook for 10 to 15 minutes, or until the artichokes are tender. Add the lemon zest, cook for 2 minutes more, and serve.
