Italian Lamb Stew

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            FOOD FUNNY
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Thanks to Karen Payne of Lily Dale, NY for what I believe is the
first food funny featuring culinary circumlocution I have ever published.

Little Billy had trouble pronouncing the "r" sound, so his kindergarten
teacher gave him a sentence to practice: "Richard and Robert roasted
the rabbit so rare." She told him to practice it for a week. The following
week the teacher asked Billy to repeat the sentence for her. He said,
"Dick and Bob didn't cook the bunny enough."

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            TODAY'S RECIPE
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This week's recipes are all main dishes because our subject is
stews. If you happen to have a slow cooker you can pull it out for
these easy dishes, but I will also give instructions for cooking
them in the oven and on the stove top. Here is the lineup:

(Recipes in brackets are in the PLUS Edition only.)

Monday's Entree
Italian Lamb Stew (Agnello al Forno)
[Beef Ragout]

Tuesday's Entree
Shrimp Creole
[Classic Veal Stew]

Wednesday's Entree
Black Bean Chili
[Veal Peperonata]

Thursday's Entree
Moroccan-Style Chicken Stew
[Beef Braised in Coffee]

Friday's Entree
Beef in Guinness
[Lamb Goulash]

Here is an easy stew from southern Italy. Traditionally cooked in
clay pots, any deep baking dish with a tightly fitting lid will do
the trick.

Italian Lamb Stew (Agnello al Forno)

2 Tbs (30 ml) olive oil
1 1/2-2 lbs (675-900 g) boneless lamb leg or shoulder cut
into 2-inch (5 cm) pieces
2-3 onions, thickly sliced
2-3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 lbs (900 g) new or red potatoes, quartered
1 1/2-2 lbs (675-900 g) fresh tomatoes, coarsely chopped
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
1/4 cup (60 ml) chopped parsley
1/4 cup (60 ml) chopped fresh basil leaves
2 Tbs (30 ml) chopped fresh rosemary or oregano

Heat the olive oil in a skillet over high heat and brown the lamb
in batches. Transfer to a pot, baking dish, or slow cooker and add
the onions, garlic, potatoes, tomatoes, salt, pepper, and half the
herbs, tossing to combine. Bake tightly covered in a preheated
300F (150C) oven, or on a very low flame on the stove top, or on
high in the slow cooker until the lamb is tender, 3 to 4 hours.
Garnish with the remaining chopped herbs. Serves 4 to 6.
Received on Mon Mar 6 06:21:46 2006