Editor's note: This original recipe was created for Epicurious by Mark Bittman. For Bittman's tips on preparing a modern Passover meal, click here.
•Start checking the lamb for doneness after 1 hour and cook until the meat is very tender, especially if using precut stew meat. Lamb shoulder will cook in about 1 1/2 hours, and leg meat can take as much as 2 1/2 hours. Pre-cut lamb stew is often leg meat; check with your butcher to be sure. Or, buy shoulder and cut into pieces yourself.
•If making the parsley purée in advance (it will keep in the fridge for 1 day), return to room temperature and stir in the vinegar just before serving (otherwise the vinegar will dull the bright green color).
•This dish is best served over couscous, or if you're preparing it for Passover, polenta or another kosher grain.
Recipe information
Yield
Makes 6 servings
Ingredients
For lamb:
For purée:
Preparation
Make the lamb:
Step 1
1. Combine the salt and pepper in a small bowl. In a large, deep skillet with a tight-fitting cover, warm the olive oil over medium-high heat for 1 minute. Add as many of the lamb cubes as will fit without crowding and cook, undisturbed, until they are well browned on the bottom, 3 to 4 minutes. (You will inevitably have to brown in batches.) Turn the cubes over, season with some of the salt and pepper mix, and brown on the second side, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer the lamb to a plate and repeat with the remaining meat (the browning will take about 15 minutes total if your skillet is 12 inches or larger). Adjust the heat so the pieces brown as rapidly as possible without burning. Turn off the heat and let the pan cool for 1 minute.
Step 2
2. Turn the heat back to medium, add the garlic, and cook, stirring, until it begins to soften, about 1 minute. Pour the stock, wine, or water into the pan, raise the heat, and bring the liquid to a boil, stirring and scraping the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon to release any cooked-on bits. Simmer for 1 minute.
Step 3
3. Add the browned lamb, along with any juices that have collected on the plate. Bring the pot to a boil, cover, then reduce the heat until the mixture simmers very gently.
Step 4
4. Peel the horseradish and cut it into 1/4-inch-thick slices (keep the root from your eyes and nose; it's pungent). Stir the horseradish into the pot. Simmer, covered, until the lamb is tender, 1 1/2 to 2 1/2 hours (shoulder meat will cook faster than leg meat). Taste the lamb before serving and add more salt and pepper if desired.
Make the parsley purée:
Step 5
5. In a blender combine the parsley with half the olive oil and the garlic cloves. Purée to a rough paste, then pour in the remaining oil while the blender is running and process to a smooth paste. Mix in the vinegar and salt, taste, and adjust the seasonings if desired.
Step 6
6. Serve the stew, passing the parsley purée on the side.
