Lamb stew, Umbria-style
( Friccò di agnello )

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 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.

Useful links for this recipe

• - You can know more about lamb and its meat on our website dedicated to food ane feeding (theitaliantaste.info).
• - Here are the links to desserts and cakes and pastiera recipe, mentioned by me in the previous paragraph to plan your menu.
• - Finally, I anticipate what you are going to read in the next paragraph about fat and lamb meat. In lamb with potatoes and mushrooms I explain very well the diifferent nutrition facts if you use fat or lean cuts of lamb meat.

Healthy eating

• - All the considerations I am doing are only valid if you choose this lamb dish for your 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.
  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.
• - This lamb dish has no fiber.
• - I recommended you not to eat meat more than 3 to 4 times a week, included cuts.
  And eat preferably poultry.

Loretta

What's the right wine for " Lamb stew, Umbria-style "?

Match this lamb stew with a red wine such as Orvieto (a real red wine from Umbria - Italy). The best suggestion my husband and I can give you is to pair always a typical Italian dish with its local wine. This is an Umbrian recipe and so the best wine must be made in Umbria with its vines ;)