Recipe: Navarin d'agneau (Lamb stew)

Name: Navarin d'agneau (Lamb stew)
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 60 min
Total time: 75 min
Yield: 6 servings
Cuisine: French
Ingredients: Lamb stew with potatoes; Origin of this dish: the victory of the French fleet in 1827 fighting for Greece's independence in Navarin, close to Pylos.; Lamb stew for 6 guests:; 2.2 lb (1 kg) of lamb shoulder (12 pieces weighing 80 grams each); 6 thin slices of lamb neck (for taste); 4 tomatoes, peeled, seeded and roughly chopped; 1 carrot; 2 onions, diced; 1 tablespoon sugar; 1.75 oz (50 gr) of concentrated tomato paste; 2 garlic cloves; 1 bouquet garni; 18 medium potatoes (BF 15 variety); Olive oil

By chef patrick Asfaux 4.9/5 (33 reviews) · 🍳 25 made it

Recipe Navarin d'agneau (Lamb stew) - Chef Patrick Asfaux — Photo: Aftouch-cuisine

Prep 15 min

Cook 60 min

Total 1h15

Servings 6 serv.

L'origine du nom de ce plat provient de la recette confectionnée par le chef cuisinier de l'Armada pour fêter la victoire de la flotte française en 1827 pour l'indépendance de la Grèce a Navarin prés de Pylos ceci c'est pour la "légende" car les historiens pensent que ce plat se préparait depuis bien longtemps il avait été baptisé ainsi quelques 150ans avant par la déformation du mot Navet le légume qui a l'époque était la garniture principale de ce plat

Ingredients for 6 servings

Adjust for

servings

Lamb stew with potatoes

Origin of this dish: the victory of the French fleet in 1827 fighting for Greece's independence in Navarin, close to Pylos.
Lamb stew for 6 guests:
2.2 lb (1 kg) of lamb shoulder (12 pieces weighing 80 grams each)
6 thin slices of lamb neck (for taste)
4 tomatoes, peeled, seeded and roughly chopped
1 carrot
2 onions, diced
1 tablespoon sugar
1.75 oz (50 gr) of concentrated tomato paste
2 garlic cloves
1 bouquet garni
18 medium potatoes (BF 15 variety)

Olive oil

Step-by-step directions

Put the lamb meat in a pot with olive oil and let it brown. Add the onions, the crushed garlic cloves, the bouquet garni and the tomatoes. Season with salt and pepper, cover the pot and leave everything to cook on low heat for 10 min.

Add the tomato paste and the sugar (you may also add a little vinegar if you wish) and cover with water. Let it boil and season the mixture again.

Cook in the oven at 350°F (355°F (180°C) or th6) for 1 hour.

Peel the potatoes and place them in a pot with cold water. Bring to a boil. After 5 minutes drain the potatoes make sure you add them to the lamb stew 30 minutes before the dish is completely cooked.

Once you have taken the lamb stew out of the oven, pour off any excess fat and remove the lamb meat, the potatoes and the bouquet garni.

Mix the sauce and pass it through a sieve. Put everything back in the dish except the bouquet garni and bring to a boil.

Prepare a large bowl. Place the lamb meat in the center and surround it with potatoes. If you do not wish to use potatoes for this dish you may also change the recipe to make it a traditional Lamb Stew "Printanier" by adding several pre-cooked vegetables to the sauce, such as green beans, garden peas, baby carrots, baby turnips, snow peas, pearl onions, etc.

A delightful treat !!!

A chef's advice

Navarin d'agneau is the sort of dish you make on a Sunday when you have time to spare and want to feed people properly. It's been a cornerstone of French bistro cooking for generations, the kind of slow-braised meat stew you find in every decent Paris restaurant. Here we use the shoulder, cheaper than leg but more flavourful when you add those collar strips that build body into the broth. It's an autumn and winter dish, when lamb from the salt marshes hits the market fresh and storage potatoes are starchy and good. In spring, swap out the potatoes for green beans, spring peas, new turnips and heritage carrots, and it becomes navarin printanier, lighter but still hearty. For wine, go for a red with backbone but not too heavy. A Beaujolais village or Côtes du Rhône sit well against the lamb fat and tomato sauce. Skip the light reds, they won't cut it. If you want white, a dry Chablis can work, but it has to be bone-dry. The accompaniment is already built in: the turned potatoes arranged in a crown around the meat. Toasted bread on the side for soaking up the sauce once it's been blended smooth. That's all you need, plus wine and good company.

Frequently asked questions

Can you swap the tomato concentrate for fresh tomatoes?

Yes, but use 600g of ripe tomatoes instead of 50g concentrate. Peel, deseed, and allow longer cooking time since they release water. The sauce will be slightly thinner. Concentrate is just condensed tomato, easier to measure and control.

How long does navarin keep in the fridge?

Three to four days max in an airtight container. The lamb fat rises to the surface and acts as a natural seal. You can also freeze for up to three months. Thaw overnight in the fridge, then reheat gently in a covered pot at 180°C.

How do you keep the sauce from being too fatty?

That's why we degrease before blending. Chill the stew for an hour, the fat solidifies on top, skim it off with a spoon. Then blend and sieve the sauce for a smooth, glossy finish without grease.