L ifestyles /C ulture
Spanish-Spiced Lamb Stew
F O OD
THIS RECIPE CAME to
me by way of my friend Kate
Markowitz. Her parents, Merle
and Joe, used to visit Atlantic
City from time to time. Joe
would hit the casinos, and
Merle would walk the board-
walk, strolling in and out of
shops. There was one shop that
Merle, an avid cook, never
missed — a place that sold
cookbooks for $1. She gave her
daughter Kate one of her finds,
an old-school board book
that emphasized “interna-
tional” cuisine, complete with
the nation’s flag next to each
recipe. Kate, like her mom,
is an excellent cook. She has
cherished the book, and added
her creativity to some of the
recipes. This lamb, inspired by one
of the recipes in the book, is
a go-to dinner party dish for
Kate, and, pre-pandemic, I had
the good fortune to try it at
her house. It is a wonderful,
aromatic, warming dish for
these chilly days.

Kate serves the stew over
rice or noodles with a simple,
citrusy salad and some crusty
bread, and it is a heavenly meal.

The fried-in-vinegar bread is a
revelation. I had never seen
that done before, and I have
read and tested a lot of recipes.

It gives the dish both tang and
crunch, and works as a thick-
ener for the gravy.

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NOVEMBER 26, 2020
Lamb stew
Photo by
Keri White
SPANISH-SPICED LAMB STEW
Serves 4
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VZKDWZHFDOOKRXVHWRKRXVHVHUYLFH KERI WHITE | JE FOOD COLUMNIST
Don’t balk at the cloves! I
generally avoid what I call the
“pumpkin pie palate” in savory
dishes, but it really works here.

1 slice stale bread
3 tablespoons red wine
vinegar 2-4 tablespoons olive oil
2 pounds lamb shoulder,
trimmed and cubed
Salt and pepper to taste (be
generous) 6 cloves garlic
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
(or more/less to taste)
½ teaspoon ground cloves
A handful fresh parsley,
chopped 1 cup chicken, beef or
vegetable broth
1 teaspoon Spanish paprika
1 package frozen peas
½ head cauliflower, cut in
small florets
Sprinkle the bread with the
vinegar and allow it to soak in.

Heat the oil in a stew pot or large
pan with a cover, and fry the bread
until crisp, turning once. Set aside.

JEWISH EXPONENT
Over medium-high heat,
brown the meat along with
3 cloves of crushed garlic,
cayenne, salt and pepper to
taste. Move the meat around in
the pan to sear on all sides.

While the lamb sears, crush
the remaining 3 cloves of garlic
with parsley and the ground
cloves stir into a paste. Sprinkle
the lamb with the paprika, add
the paste, and stir well.

Add the broth, bring it to a
boil, then lower the heat, cover
and simmer for at least an
hour, until the meat is tender.

The longer you cook it, the
more tender it will be — mine
simmered for a fragrant three
hours. Add the peas and cauli-
flower, and cook an additional
10 minutes until the vegetables
are cooked through.

While the meat and vegeta-
bles are simmering, finely chop
the vinegar-toasted bread. If it
has gotten soggy, pop it in the
toaster oven to crisp it before
chopping. When the stew is
done, stir the chopped bread
into the pan and allow it to
absorb and thicken for a few
minutes. Taste for seasoning,
add salt and pepper if needed,
and serve.

GRAPEFRUIT AND FENNEL
SALAD Serves 4
Kate served this salad, which
she had composed on each
individual’s side plate at the
dinner. It was a refreshing
complement to the hearty stew.

Her presentation was lovely,
but if you prefer family-style,
just dump everything into a
large salad bowl and toss it
together. 2 heads Boston or bibb
lettuce, rinsed and torn
1 grapefruit, pith removed,
and cut into bite-sized
pieces ½ head raw fennel, sliced
thinly Dressing:
¼ cup olive oil
Juice of ½ lemon
Pinch of salt
Sprinkle of pepper
Place the salad ingredients
artfully on small plates. Mix
the dressing in a measuring
cup or cruet and, just before
serving, drizzle it over the
salads. l
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