The not so silent lamb stew

Ah, she's got you wondering now, doesn't she. "Not so silent?" Hmmm. What could that mean. Well, here's a hint for only cooking afficianados: Tuscan cooking.

No takers? Well, here's the give away: the musical fruit.

OK, NOW you all now what Annalena is talking about. She's referring to ... beans!

Many years ago, when Annalena saw one of her favorite movies, "Stevie," she remembers how there was a scene where our heroine is asked what she would like with the lamb that night. She responds, with great certainty "Oh, beans." And indeed, when Annalena was growing up as a ragazzo, whenever Nana made lamb, there were beans. Out of a can.

Yum. NOT. Well, Annalena had not thought of that combination until a few weeks ago, when another favorite chef, Joanne Weir, posted a recipe on her website.

Chef Weir's shows used to be carried on public tv in NYC, but no more. Yet another sign, in Annalena's view, of the decay of society. But what can one do? The episode in which this dish was made, apparently involved the help of a lovely young man from the San Francisco ballet company. From Spain. So, perhaps that's the reason why this dish is a "Spanish" lamb stew, because Annalena cannot really see any other reason for it. There are garnishes that speak of Spain (and indeed, this recipe is an object lesson on the importance of "accessorizing" your food), but Iberian? She thinks not.

In any event, let us get started.

To get to the "meat of the matter," you need 2 pounds of lamb stew meat. You can get shoulder meat, or leg meat. If you simply buy "stew meat," you will have no choice. Annalena, however, prefers shoulder for her stews. Leg meat is delicious, but shoulder stands up to the long cooking. So, when she makes this stew, Annalena asks for a piece of shoulder meat. Cut it up yourself. It's not hard.

You will also need an onion, and three cloves of garlic. Also, a large can of tomatoes, and a half pound of merguez sausage (Note that the original called for chorizo, but spicy lamb sausage is merguez. If you are fortunate enough to have a piece that will hold together without the casing, muy grande).

We are not finished yet, ragazzi. Let us get to the beans, and discuss the possible variations. Chef Weir calls for 2 pounds of fresh shell beans, which you then shell, as well as 3/4 cup of dried beans, which you cook.

Now, locally, regardless of where you live, fresh shell beans are a product of late summer and early fall - PRECISELY when you do NOT want to make lamb stew. So, if you are prudent and freeze shell beans at peak of season, use those. Annalena was out, so she used her frozen fava beans. This is a more than acceptable substitution, since fava beans ARE shell beans. Indeed, Paula Wolfert, in her wonderful book on Provencal cooking, talks about the last cassoulet of the season, which is made with fresh fava beans, instead of dried beans. So "use em if you got em." IF you don't, you want to cook up enough dried beans, to eventually get 3.5 cups or so of the guys. White beans go really well with lamb. While this may sound ridiculous try to make sure your dried beans are fresh (does anyone besides Annalena remember the scene in "Flower Drum Song" when the chef calls in an order for "a dozen thousand year old eggs. AND MAKE SURE THEY'RE FRESH!")

Annalena loves that movie. The cook then breaks into "Chop Suey," a politically incorrect song, but oh so much fun.

Oh dear, digressions abound, don't they? Let us return to our stew.

Chop up the onion and put it in a big pot, with two tablespoons of olive oil. Add the lamb to the onions (odd, but it works), and sear it, until it picks up some color. No pan is going to be big enough to do this in one layer, so split the onions and the meat, and do it in two. Add salt and pepper to taste while you do this, and when you're done, put everything back in the pot, and add 2 tablespoons of flour. Stir everything together. Cook until you see the flour disappear, which will take about two minutes (incidentally, you could leave out this step, or save it until later, which Annalena did, successfully. Read on).

While the meat and onions are cooking, mince three large garlic cloves, and combine them with those tomatoes, and a bay leaf. Put this all in with the lamb, and fill that can from the tomatoes with water, and add that. You will have a good two quarts of liquid in this pot with your lamb, and that's ok. NOW, if you have forgotten to add the flour, you can grab a cup of the water, mix the flour with that, and then stir it all in. Bring everything to a boil, lower the heat, and let it cook away for an hour.

Your home will begin to smell wonderful.

NOW... add those musical fruits, and the sausage. Cook for another 45 minutes to an hour. Sample the liquid to see if it needs salt. And notice how much of it has evaporated. You're on the right track.

You could stop the stew right here, but why would you, when you have this wonderful garnish to make. HEAVENS it is wonderful. Get a small pan, and add 3 tablespoons of olive oil. Also add 2 gloves of garlic, which have been sliced, together with a teaspoon of sweet paprika, and half as much of the smoked variety, "pimenton," which is another Spanish ingredient. Just warm these together. Do not let anything color, but watch as the oil gets brilliant, ruby red (you may at this point wish to sing the line from "Mack the Knife" about scarlet billows if you like).

Put this flavored oil right into the stew, stir it together, and taste. Spicy, and probably salty enough, but if not, add some more.

"Some like it hot," and if you do, you may choose to add some hot chilis here too. If not, you're ready to eat.

Sort of. As with all stews, this will improve on sitting. And if you remember that lamb is fatty, you may wish to cool it, and then peel the lamb fat off the next day. Of course, if you are fortunate enough to have a source of grass fed lamb, you may not have any extra at all. Or, you may wish to stir it back in. It is all up to you. Annalena would probably stir it back in, because the flavors and colors of paprika are fat soluble, and when the fat goes, so do they.

PHEW! Now that was WAY more work than we usually do here, wasn't it? Well, you have a free afternoon or evening sometime. Get busy. As Annalena's friend Julie Gold wrote "God is watching us," and as Annalena says "God does NOT like it when people are not busy."


Alla prossima.