Braised Lamb with Barley

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             FOOD FUNNY
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Thanks to Fran Haslam for this one:

A man once counseled his son that if he wanted to live a long life, the
secret was to sprinkle a little gunpowder on his eggs every morning. The
son did this religiously, and he lived to the age of 93. When he died,
he left 14 children, 28 grandchildren, 35 great-grandchildren, and a
15-foot hole in the wall of the crematorium.

I was about to concede that perhaps he was a better manager than his
wife, when he added sheepishly, "When I was making the chocolate
frosting, I forgot to turn off the mixer before taking the beaters out
of the bowl, so I had to do all the rest."

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             TODAY'S RECIPE
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Here's an old-fashioned stew that will stick to your ribs.

Braised Lamb with Barley

4 Tbs (60 ml) olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
2-4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 ribs celery, finely chopped
1 1/2-2 lbs (675-900 g) boneless lamb, trimmed of excess fat and cut into 2-inch (5 cm) cubes
All-purpose flour for dredging
4 cups (1 L) beef stock
1 cup (25 ml) pearl barley
1/2 lb (225 g) carrots, cut into 2-inch (5 cm) pieces
1/2 lb (225 g) turnips, peeled and coarsely chopped
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
Chopped fresh chives, parsley, or herb of your choice for garnish (optional)

Heat the oil in a large pot over moderate heat and saute the onion,
garlic, and celery until tender but not browned, about 5 minutes. Dredge
the lamb lightly in flour, shaking off the excess, and saute in the oil
until lightly browned on all sides. Add the beef stock and the barley
and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer covered until the lamb
and barley are tender, about 1 hour. Add the remaining ingredients and
cook covered until the vegetables are tender, about 15 minutes. Garnish
with chopped fresh herbs if desired.
Serves 4 to 6.
Received on Wed Jan 7 23:21:24 2009