Mediterranean Lamb Stew

You will love this one-pot Mediterranean Lamb Stew. It is a homely and comforting meal, full of the sunny flavours of the Mediterranean. For this recipe we use cubed boneless lamb shoulder with fragrant herbs, tomatoes, red peppers, eggplant and olives. Cooked slowly and gently, the lamb develops a rich flavour and becomes meltingly tender. It is certain to become a regular on your meal plan.

Course Dinner, Main Course

Cuisine Mediterranean

Prep Time 25

Cook Time 2 30

Total Time 2 55

Servings people

Calories 437kcal

Author Alexandra Cook - It's Not Complicated Recipes

Ingredients

For the Lamb Stew:

1 kg (2.2 lbs) stewing lamb - we use shoulder cut in 3 cm (1 inch cubes) See Note 1
1 teaspoon coarse cooking sea salt
½ teaspoon black pepper - freshly ground
3 tablespoon olive oil See Note 2
1 large brown/yellow onion - cut into small cubes
4 cloves garlic - roughly chopped
800 g (28 oz) tinned crushed tomatoes
250 ml (1 cup) chicken stock See Note 3
125 ml (½ cup) dry red wine - I use Shiraz See Note 4
2 teaspoon fresh rosemary - finely chopped
2 teaspoon dried oregano
¼ teaspoon chilli flakes - optional
2 large red capsicum/bell peppers - cut into 3 cm (1 inch) pieces
1 medium eggplant/aubergine - cut into 2 cm (¾ inch) cubes
90 g (½ cup) Sicilian green olives - pitted
70 g (2 cups) baby spinach - firmly packed
2 tablespoon fresh parsley - roughly chopped
sea salt and black pepper - to taste See Note 5

For the Topping:

200 g (7 oz) Greek feta cheese - crumbled
2 tablespoon fresh mint leaves - firmly packed and thinly sliced
1 teaspoon lemon zest

Instructions

Buy pre-cut meat or, cut a piece of shoulder (or other cut that suits this recipe - See Note 1) into 3 cm (1 " cubes).
Pat the cubed meat dry with paper towels. This will help the meat to form a nice brown crust when seared.
Sprinkle the lamb with salt and pepper.
Heat 2 tablespoons of oil, over medium-high heat, in a large, heavy-based Dutch Oven or saucepan with a tight-fitting lid. The oil should not smoke. You will notice that the oil is hot and ready to use when it begins to shimmer.
Add ⅓ of the lamb to the pan. Brown the meat for several minutes on all sides.
Remove the meat to a plate and set it aside. Repeat with the remaining lamb, adding more oil if necessary.
Turn the heat down to low. Add a little extra oil if necessary. Add the onion and cook for about 2 minutes, stirring occasionally, then add the garlic and cook a further minute and stir again to ensure the garlic doesn’t burn.
Return the cooked lamb, including any juices, to the pan.
Add the tomatoes, chicken stock, red wine, rosemary, oregano and chilli flakes. Stir well.
Bring to a simmer, cover the pan, lower the heat so the meat barely bubbles, and cook for 1 ½ - 2 hours, or until the meat is almost at perfect tenderness. Stir occasionally to prevent it from sticking to the bottom of the pan.
Add the capsicum and eggplant, stir well and cover again. Cook for 30 minutes. Stir halfway through and add a little water if necessary.
Add the olives and parsley. Check the seasoning, adding additional salt, pepper or chilli flakes to taste.
Turn into a serving dish or serve, family-style, at the table in the pan in which it was cooked.
For the topping, combine the feta, mint and lemon zest. Add to the top of the stew when serving.

Notes

Stewing lamb: we have used pre-cut lamb shoulder. Choose a cut of meat that benefits from long, slow cooking, such as the shoulder, shank or neck. If you prefer a leaner cut, you could use lamb leg.
Tablespoon: we use a standard Australian tablespoon which is 20 ml (4 teaspoons). For readers located elsewhere in the world, please use 1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon for each tablespoon listed.
Stock: I have used chicken stock, but vegetable, lamb or beef stock are all suitable.
Red wine: I prefer a dry red wine for this recipe, such as a Shiraz or Cabernet Sauvignon. Choose a red wine that you enjoy drinking. If you would prefer to omit the wine, just switch out for more stock.
Seasoning: adjust the seasoning to your liking – we recommend using freshly ground black pepper and sea salt flakes for the best flavour. Proper seasoning is essential for a delicious dish that is well flavoured.
Storage: store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. The feta topping is best added just before serving.
Leftovers: Store in an airtight container in the fridge and use within three days. Refrigerate any leftovers as soon as possible. It is not safe to leave the stew at room temperature for more than two hours. Re-heat thoroughly before serving.
Freezing: Put the stew in an airtight container and store in the freezer for up to three months. It is best to defrost in the fridge overnight and heat thoroughly before serving.

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