Recipe: Irish Lamb Stew

Andiamo/Joe Muer Seafood Executive Chef Jim Oppat serves a family staple
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Photographs by Dan Morgner/Vaughn Images

Chef Jim Oppat听is the corporate executive chef of Joe Vicari Restaurant Group and oversees Joe Muer Seafood (both the Bloomfield Hills and Detroit locations), as well as all Andiamo restaurants. He and his wife听and four children live in Macomb Township, and it鈥檚 a household where 鈥渢here are almost always friends dropping over,鈥 he says. He tries to have an array of cheeses at the ready for unexpected visitors, and loves to cook 鈥渇or anyone and everyone.鈥澨 A wine aficionado, Oppat has a wine cellar where he collects favorites from around the world. This lamb dish has been a family staple for years.


Irish Lamb Stew (Serves听10)

Ingredients
4 ounces white wine
2 quarts white stock
4 ounces, mirepoix (finely chopped vegetables such as celery, onions, and carrots), tied in a cheesecloth
2 pounds peeled potatoes, cut into large chunks
4 pounds lamb shoulder, cut in 1 陆-inch cubes
1 sachet d鈥橢pices of each: bay, thyme, peppercorns and parsley
1 陆 teaspoon salt, amount will vary to taste
1 teaspoon white pepper, amount will vary to taste
Salt to taste
Fresh-squeezed lemon as desired

骋补谤苍颈蝉丑听
Pre-cook each separately, then combine:
20 carrots, cut to 2陆-3-inch strips
20 turnips, cut to 2陆-3-inch strips
20 pieces of celery, cut to 2陆-3-inch strips
20 pearl onions, cut to 2陆-3-inch strips

Directions
Combine white wine, stock, mirepoix, and potatoes. Place the lamb in a sieve and lower it into the liquid so it will be easy to remove. Bring the stock to a simmer and skim the surface. Add the sachet d鈥橢pices, cover the pan and stew the meat over low heat until tender to the bite for approximately 60-90 minutes.
Remove excess grease/fat from the surface, and discard the sachet d鈥橢pices and the mirepoix. Remove the cooked meat and set aside. Puree the potato mixture until smooth (this will be your sauce for the stew.) If the broth looks like it is too much for the potatoes to thicken, remove some to achieve the desired consistency.听Place the lamb back into the sauce and adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper. Garnish the stew with the precooked vegetables, simmer to heat them through. Adjust final seasoning with salt and pepper, and add a few drops of fresh- squeezed lemon. Serve with your favorite freshly baked, warm bread.