Are you familiar with Basque cooking? Basque Country is a region bordering Spain and France at the Western end of the Pyrenees mountains. Basque descendants and communities can be found all over California and Nevada. (More on the history of the Basque people in the Wikipedia.)
Lamb stews are typical of Basque cuisine, as are dishes that include both tomatoes and sweet red peppers.
My father first found the recipe from which we adapted this basque lamb stew in an old issue of Saveur Magazine. He has at least 20 years of back issues of Gourmet, Saveur, and other cooking magazines that he keeps around just waiting for a spare moment to review.
We’ve made this stew several times and just love it. It seems a little odd in that the lamb is first marinated in herbs and white wine, and then braised in stock and red wine. Mixing wines in cooking is so rarely done, but apparently it does happen on occasion in Spanish cooking (we’ve found references in Spanish cookbooks).
Updated, from the recipe archive. First posted in 2005. Enjoy!
Lamb stews are typical of Basque cuisine, as are dishes that include both tomatoes and sweet red peppers.
My father first found the recipe from which we adapted this basque lamb stew in an old issue of Saveur Magazine. He has at least 20 years of back issues of Gourmet, Saveur, and other cooking magazines that he keeps around just waiting for a spare moment to review.
We’ve made this stew several times and just love it. It seems a little odd in that the lamb is first marinated in herbs and white wine, and then braised in stock and red wine. Mixing wines in cooking is so rarely done, but apparently it does happen on occasion in Spanish cooking (we’ve found references in Spanish cookbooks).
Updated, from the recipe archive. First posted in 2005. Enjoy!
Basque Lamb Stew Recipe
Feel free to substitute some or all of the paprika with smoked paprika.
Ingredients
- 3 1/2 lbs. lamb shoulder, cut into 2 inch pieces
- 6 cloves garlic, crushed and peeled
- 1 sprig fresh rosemary, about 1 tablespoon chopped
- 1/2 cup dry white wine
- 2 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 large onion, peeled and chopped
- Salt
- 2 teaspoons sweet paprika
- 1 10-ounce can roasted red bell peppers, cut into 1/2 inch strips
- 1 large ripe tomato, peeled, seeded, and chopped
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 cup dry, full-bodied red wine
- 1 cup chicken stock*
- Freshly ground black pepper
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