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Basque lamb stew

By: Louise Pickford

Published: 7 Jan 22
Updated: 25 Mar 24

A bowl of fragrant, peppery Basque lamb stew will hit the spot on a cold day. This punchy stew is made with lamb chops, smoked paprika and espelette pepper.

If you love lamb with bold Spanish flavours, check out our slow-cooked lamb shoulder with sherry and green olives.

Easy
January 2022

Test kitchen approved

Serves 6
Hands on time 30 min, plus resting. Oven time 2 hours.

A bowl of fragrant, peppery Basque lamb stew will hit the spot on a cold day. This punchy stew is made with lamb chops, smoked paprika and espelette pepper.

If you love lamb with bold Spanish flavours, check out our slow-cooked lamb shoulder with sherry and green olives.

Nutrition: per serving

Calories: 648kcals
Fat: 38.8g (16.7g saturated)
Protein: 50.1g
Carbohydrates: 8.1g (7.2g sugars)
Fibre: 1.8g
Salt: 0.6g

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Ingredients

1.5 kg best-end-of-neck lamb chops, excess fat trimmed
2-3 tbsp olive oil
1 large onion, finely chopped
4 garlic cloves, crushed
2 tsp chopped rosemary leaves, plus extra sprigs to serve
2 tsp smoked paprika
1 tsp espelette pepper flakes (see Know How)
500ml red wine
400g tin chopped tomatoes
2 large flame-roasted peppers from a jar, roughly chopped
2 tbsp red wine vinegar
2 tsp caster sugar
Crusty bread to serve (optional)

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Method

Heat the oven to 150ºC fan/ gas 3½. Season the lamb chops with salt and pepper. Heat 1 tbsp of the oil in a large hob-safe casserole (about 6 litres) over a high heat. Fry the chops in batches, adding more oil as necessary, for 5 minutes on each side until evenly browned. Remove from the pan with a slotted spoon, set aside and reduce the heat to medium.
Add 1 tbsp oil and fry the onion, garlic and rosemary with a little seasoning for 10 minutes until soft. Stir in the paprika and espelette, then fry for 1 minute. Add the wine, bring to the boil and simmer for 3 minutes, then stir in the tomatoes, peppers, vinegar and sugar. Return the lamb to the casserole and add just enough water to cover.
Bring back to the boil, cover the pan, then put in the oven. Cook for 2 hours or until the meat is falling from the bone. Remove from the oven and rest for at least 20 minutes. Serve topped with rosemary sprigs, with crusty bread if you like.

Recipe from January 2022 Issue

Nutrition

Nutrition: per serving

Calories: 648kcals
Fat: 38.8g (16.7g saturated)
Protein: 50.1g
Carbohydrates: 8.1g (7.2g sugars)
Fibre: 1.8g
Salt: 0.6g

delicious. tips

Easy swaps: Replace the chops with low-and-slow stewing cuts such as lamb shanks or scrag end – these might take longer to cook.
Espelette pepper is a mild to medium-hot chilli from a French Basque town of the same name. Buy the flakes online or use a pinch of cayenne instead.

To freeze leftovers, first strip the meat from the bone.