lamb stew

I made the most delicious stew today. I prepared it lovingly for my friend Ian who was celebrating his birthday with a potluck supper for friends. It got rave reviews at the party and was quite easy to prepare. You'll find the recipe at http://www.foodtv.ca/recipes/recipedetails.aspx?dishid=3015.



I used half as much lamb as the recipe indicated, but the flavour was so rich, I think the meat-to-vegetable proportion was perfect. I took the meat off the bones after 1.5 hours in the oven, chopped it, and mixed it in with the vegetables for the rest of the roasting time. It roasted for 1.5 hours at 350 degrees and another hour at 250 degrees. Other variations: I added a chopped sweet potato, used half tinned and half fresh tomatoes, used a bit of rice wine vinegar instead of wine, and sprinkled crumbled feta cheese and fresh basil on top and put it under the broiler for a few minutes before serving. I served it with wholewheat couscous. It was perfect. I think the ingredient that made it particularly perfect was the finely chopped fresh rosemary. Thank you, Jamie Oliver!