Spring Lamb Stew with Root Vegetables -- The Meal That Tastes Like the Season Turning

The spring fencing is done. Three weeks of T-post work on the east boundary and now the fence is solid for another decade, which is what good fence is supposed to buy you — time. I finished the last section Wednesday and stood back and looked at the line of new posts running straight across the pasture and felt the particular satisfaction of a thing completed correctly. Patrick came out and looked at it too. He didn't say anything, which from Patrick is the equivalent of a standing ovation.

The farrier schedule is filling up for spring. Four regular accounts, the occasional one-off call from people who got my name from Tom Whelan or Debbie, and a horse emergency last Tuesday at a riding stable in Billings — a horse with an abscess that had been left too long and needed immediate attention. I was there in two hours, drained and packed the hoof, gave the owner the follow-up instructions, and was back on the ranch by evening. That's what a farrier emergency looks like. Not glamorous, but necessary, and I was the person who could do it.

One hundred and six days dry. April is a good month for sobriety — the spring makes it easier somehow, the new growth and the longer days and the work that comes with them. I don't trust the seasons to carry me; I know the dark months will come back. But I'm grateful for April.

Mom made her spring lamb stew this week. She buys a leg of lamb from a neighbor who runs a small sheep operation — we don't keep sheep but the Petersons do, and every spring there's a leg available. She does it with root vegetables and fresh rosemary and it's specific to this time of year, which is part of why it's good. Seasonal food tastes like the season. There's a reason for that.

Mom’s spring lamb stew is what I came inside to after those last fence posts were set. Three weeks of work behind me, the line running straight, and there it was on the stove—the smell of rosemary and lamb filling the kitchen the way it does every April. This is the recipe she makes when the Petersons have a leg available and the root vegetables are still good. It’s not complicated, but it’s right for the season, and after a stretch of hard, satisfying work, that’s exactly what you want to sit down to.

Spring Lamb Stew with Root Vegetables

Prep Time: 25 minutes | Cook Time: 2 hours | Total Time: 2 hours 25 minutes | Servings: 6

Ingredients

• 2 1/2 pounds boneless leg of lamb, trimmed and cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces
• 1 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
• 1 large yellow onion, diced
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 cup dry red wine
• 4 cups beef broth
• 3 medium carrots, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
• 3 medium parsnips, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
• 2 medium turnips, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1 pound baby potatoes, halved
• 3 sprigs fresh rosemary
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 cup frozen peas
• 2 tablespoons fresh rosemary, finely chopped (for finishing)

Instructions

1. Season the lamb. Pat lamb pieces dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper.
2. Brown the meat. Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Working in batches to avoid crowding, brown the lamb on all sides, about 3-4 minutes per batch. Transfer browned lamb to a plate and set aside.
3. Build the base. Reduce heat to medium. Add remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil and the diced onion. Cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and tomato paste and stir for 1 minute until fragrant.
4. Make the roux. Sprinkle flour over the onion mixture and stir constantly for 1 minute to cook out the raw flour taste.
5. Deglaze. Pour in the red wine, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot. Let it simmer for 2 minutes until slightly reduced.
6. Simmer the stew. Add beef broth, browned lamb and any accumulated juices, carrots, parsnips, turnips, potatoes, rosemary sprigs, and bay leaves. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer for 1 1/2 hours, stirring occasionally, until the lamb is fork-tender and the vegetables are cooked through.
7. Finish. Remove and discard rosemary sprigs and bay leaves. Stir in frozen peas and cook for 3-4 minutes until heated through. Taste and adjust salt and pepper as needed. Ladle into bowls and top with chopped fresh rosemary.

Nutrition (per serving)

Calories: 485 | Protein: 38g | Fat: 16g | Carbs: 40g | Fiber: 7g | Sodium: 820mg