Friccò di agnello
Lamb stew, Umbria-style
Lamb stew as it is made in Umbria is called "Friccò di agnello" in Italian. This is the version Loretta learnt In Umbria during her stage. It's a lighter recipe than the other ones whose main ingredient is lamb meat. It is cooked, simply, in olive oil, white vinegar, wine and some aromatics. Easy-to-do but very tasty! Look at the other lamb recipes of ours if you lke lamb meat.
yeld for 4
- 800g (1 3/4 pound) shoulder of lamb, cut into pieces
- 1 garlic clove
- Fresh rosemary
- 1 dried sage leaf
- A glass of dry white wine
- 2 tablespoons plus 1/2 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons plus 1/2 teaspoon white wine vinegar
- Vegetable stock
- Salt
- Powdered chilli
- Time:
preparation: 10 minutes
cooking: 60 minutes
total: 70 minutes - Difficulty:
easy recipe - Nutrition Facts (amount per serving):
Calories: 227 (kCal) 12 % GDA (*) - 948 (kJ)
Protein: 30.6 (g) 62 % GDA
Total fat: 11.6 (g) 17 % GDA
Total carbohydrate: 0.0 (g)
Sugars: 0.0 (g)
Umbrian lamb stew recipe
Preparation
- - Remove the visible fat from the lamb pieces.
- - Wash the lamb pieces and pat dry with kitchen paper.
- - Put the lamb with the olive oil and rosemary in a large saucepan.
- - Prepare the stock and keep it boiling.
Cooking
- - Brown the lamb on a medium heat.
- - Douse with the wine and vinegar. Raise the heat and allow to evaporate.
- - Add the sage, garlic, if liked, and a ladle of stock.
- - Season to taste with salt and chilli (if liked), cover, lower the heat and continue cooking for about 45 minutes or until the lamb meat is tender and sauce thickens.
- - Add some stock if necessary (a ladle at a time).
Just before serving
- - Transfer the lamb pieces in the serving plate with its gravy on the top.
- - Serve hot.
Note
Tips
- - This lamb stew recipe is different from any other described in this section dedicated to lamb for the presence of vinegar.
- - You can cook your lamb some hours ahead. Then, just before serving, you have only to reduce the cooking juice.
Menu planning
- - When you'd wish to eat meat this can be your choice.
- - This lamb stew is a delicate dish and can be easily combined with many other courses in a complete menu for a special occasion, especially in spring. In Umbria this is often the main dish in the Easter lunch.
If you want to serve a traditional Italian menu for Easter lunch you must begin with a starter composed by assorted salami and hard-boiled eggs, Then there must be a pasta dish. You'll be able to find a lot of recipes in the section dedicated to pasta, with spring ingrdients too (peas, fava beans, asparagus, artichokes ...). After pasta dish we Italians serve a course based on meat or fish. For Easter lunch we prefer lamb. This Umbrian recipe is ideal. Finally there is the cake. The cake can't miss. Choose your favorite among our recipes (dessert recipe index). Our favorite cake is pastiera. - - Remember: if you serve this lamb recipe in a complete menu the doses are enough for more people.
Healthy eating
- - Daily menu. Umbrian lamb stew has not so many calories and fat as the other lamb recipes described in this section. But there is a secret: visible fat removed totally from the lamb pieces. You have to do the same thing. On the contrary the nutrition facts may vary greatly as I describe in the lamb recipe with mushrooms and potatoes.
Following strictly our recipe directions and doses you can choose it for your family when you'd like to eat lamb meat.
Anyway keep in your mind this lamb dish is rich in protein like all meat recipes and you shouldn't eat meat frequently as the nutritionists suggest.
Besides I remember you that most of the foods, main source of protein, should be eaten at dinner and the calories eaten at dinner should be 500 - 600 (25 to 30% of energy needs for an adult if his daily needs are about 2000 calories and he correctly divides his calories into 5 micro-meals).
And the other meals of the day? For lunch prefer a main dish source of carbohydrates (total carbohydrates are absent in this lamb stew) but in the right quantity. What about a tasty vegetarian pasta dish and fruit for lunch? It could be perfect a rice dish too!
And what's for dinner together with this lamb dish? a lot of raw seasonal vegetables or green salads with a portion of bread (50g - 1 3/4 ounces) to accompany it. Another tip: a tasty vegetable soup so you can accompany your lamb with a side of potatoes! But no bread in this case. - - Celebration menu. If you prepare it for a celebration menu don't worry too much about the nutrition facts. It's a rare event.
- - This lamb dish has no fiber.
- - The recommended portions of meat per week must not be more than 3 to 4, included cuts (not more than one per week).
Anyway give preference to poultry. - - If you want to drink a glass of wine remember you have to add 80-85 calories per 100ml.
- - I remember you our original home recipes can be made without salt. There is always a combination of flavors that substitutes salt. Other no salt recipes ...
By Loretta
What's the right wine ?
Our suggestion is to match this lamb stew with a red wine such as Orvieto (a real red wine from Umbria - Italy).
Greetings from Italy!
If you want to combine this dish with other ones for a complete menu, consult our "Members-only Area".
The author Loretta Sebastiani lives in Italy (IT)
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