Lamb and Scarlet Runner Bean Stew With Fennel, Kohlrabi, and Elephant Garlic
I almost forgot to post this recipe. I just made it up but I've made it twice and liked the outcome both times.
Soak the beans overnight, or use the fast soak method (cover by two inches, bring to a boil, let sit for two hours).
Preheat oven to 200 if cooking overnight, or 250 if cooking on the same day.
In a dutch oven, heat the oil until it's wisping smoke, salt the lamb, and get it nice and brown on all sides. Remove meat from pan.
Add onion, stirring well to get the fond off the pan. Cook on medium heat until onion starts to turn gold, add elephant garlic. Wait until onion starts to brown, add garlic. Stir for another 30 seconds, add fennel, stir until fennel begins to soften, add kohlrabi, add stock when kohlrabi begins to soften, stirring well to release any brown bits stuck to the pan.
Put the meat back in and add everything else except the lemon and parsley. Liquid should cover everything by one inch if you want it thick, two if you want it a little runny.
At this point cover the dutch oven and place it into the oven. Or it could go into a slow-cooker if you prefer. (You want to pre-brown the meat and onions to get the good flavor, though, so I recommend using a skillet to brown everything if you're using a slow cooker that won't go on your stovetop.)
Cook 2-3 hours on 250 or overnight on 200. Test periodically; the meat should fall right off the bone, the beans should be tender but not mushy. The kohlrabi will get quite tender but still retain its shape, part of why I like it in this recipe.
When it's done, zest and juice a lemon and stir the zest and juice in, as well as some fresh parsley if desired.
Since this stew is easier to eat if it's deboned, you can separate the broth from the stew at this point and defat it if you like, by refrigerating it long enough for the fat to set and then lifting it off. However the beans offset the fattiness of this cut of meat so there's no need to bother unless you don't like the fat. This is also an opportunity to thicken the broth, either by reducing it or mashing some of the beans up in it. Lamb shoulder has lots of bones but they're easy to separate out from the meat, and the stew tastes great when it's cooked on the bone so it's worth the extra trouble.
According to my meal calculator, a one-cup serving of this stew comes out to 216 calories: 5.5g fat/1.6g saturated, 110mg Sodium, 23.9g carbohydrates, 6.7g fiber, 20.5g protein.
- 2 cups dry scarlet runner beans (other firm large beans would also work, but runner beans are flavorful and striking)
- 1-2 tsp. whatever vegetable oil you like for browning meat; you don't need much as the lamb has plenty of fat
- 2lb. lamb shoulder, bone-in
- 3 cups chopped onion (about 2 medium)
- 2-3 cloves elephant garlic (about half a cup), chopped small (optional; add some more regular garlic, or garlic greens)
- 6 cloves garlic
- 2 fennel bulbs (2-3 cups), chopped into somewhat smaller pieces; you can add some of the stems and fronds in as well to make the flavor more noticeable
- 1 bunch kohlrabi (about 3 cups), destemmed, chopped into bite-sized chunks; no need to peel (could sub in turnip, daikon, waxy potato or rutabaga but kohlrabi is best for this)
- 8 cups of your most flavorful stock; homemade preferred. Lamb or turkey would be best. Beef or chicken will do.
- 2 Tbsp. fresh rosemary (or you can just toss some sprigs in)
- 2 bay leaves
- fresh-ground black pepper to taste
- 1/4 tsp. hot pepper sauce, enough to give a subtle zing
- zest and juice of one lemon
- salt to taste
- parsley to taste (optional)
Soak the beans overnight, or use the fast soak method (cover by two inches, bring to a boil, let sit for two hours).
Preheat oven to 200 if cooking overnight, or 250 if cooking on the same day.
In a dutch oven, heat the oil until it's wisping smoke, salt the lamb, and get it nice and brown on all sides. Remove meat from pan.
Add onion, stirring well to get the fond off the pan. Cook on medium heat until onion starts to turn gold, add elephant garlic. Wait until onion starts to brown, add garlic. Stir for another 30 seconds, add fennel, stir until fennel begins to soften, add kohlrabi, add stock when kohlrabi begins to soften, stirring well to release any brown bits stuck to the pan.
Put the meat back in and add everything else except the lemon and parsley. Liquid should cover everything by one inch if you want it thick, two if you want it a little runny.
At this point cover the dutch oven and place it into the oven. Or it could go into a slow-cooker if you prefer. (You want to pre-brown the meat and onions to get the good flavor, though, so I recommend using a skillet to brown everything if you're using a slow cooker that won't go on your stovetop.)
Cook 2-3 hours on 250 or overnight on 200. Test periodically; the meat should fall right off the bone, the beans should be tender but not mushy. The kohlrabi will get quite tender but still retain its shape, part of why I like it in this recipe.
When it's done, zest and juice a lemon and stir the zest and juice in, as well as some fresh parsley if desired.
Since this stew is easier to eat if it's deboned, you can separate the broth from the stew at this point and defat it if you like, by refrigerating it long enough for the fat to set and then lifting it off. However the beans offset the fattiness of this cut of meat so there's no need to bother unless you don't like the fat. This is also an opportunity to thicken the broth, either by reducing it or mashing some of the beans up in it. Lamb shoulder has lots of bones but they're easy to separate out from the meat, and the stew tastes great when it's cooked on the bone so it's worth the extra trouble.
According to my meal calculator, a one-cup serving of this stew comes out to 216 calories: 5.5g fat/1.6g saturated, 110mg Sodium, 23.9g carbohydrates, 6.7g fiber, 20.5g protein.