Strange how a French name for an ordinary dish sounds better than than it should. Lamb Navarin is lamb stew with turnips (Fr. navet ).
I make this with potatoes, carrots and onions as well as turnips. Or I just leave out the turnips.
In the ingredients list, I’ve included a swede – or a turnip – but that’s your personal choice.
It’s easy to make and a good tasty way to use lamb neck.
Ingredients
- Lamb neck
- 12 or so large spring onion bulbs with stem removed
- 1 onion chopped into quarters
- 1 swede (rutabaga) or one turnip peeled and cubed
- 1 large carrot sliced thickly
- 6 new potatoes halved
- 400g can of chopped tomatoes
- 1 cup beef stock
- 1 bouquet garni
- 1 clove of garlic
- 1 tablespoon of oil
- 1 tablespoon plain flour
Method
- Preheat oven to low.
- Trim any excess fat from the lamb and cut the meat into cubes.
- Heat the butter and oil in a flameproof casserole dish and cook the onions over medium heat for 5 minutes till the onions are soft.
- Add the garlic and cook for a further 1 minute. Remove
- Add the lamb in batches to the dish and brown quickly.
- When browned, return it all to the casserole dish with the onions.
- Sprinkle with flour.
- Pour in the stock and cook over low heat, stirring, until the mixture is smooth.
- Stir in the swede, carrot, tomatoes, potatoes. Add the bouquet garni.
- Cover with the casserole lid and cook in oven for 2 hours (stir 2 or 3 times during cooking) in low oven.
- Remove the bouquet garni. Serve


