Lamb Stew with Onions and Potatoes

Cipollini onions look like tiny hockey pucks when you see them in the market, and they hold their shape very well when braised. This stew is a one-dish meal, since it also contains potatoes.

Makes 4 to 6 servings | Prep time: 25 minutes | Minimum cook time: 4 hours in a large slow cooker

1 pound cipollini onions

2 pounds boneless lamb shoulder or leg of lamb, fat trimmed and cut into 2-inch cubes

All-purpose flour for dredging

¹/₄ cup olive oil

1 small yellow onion, diced

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 cup dry red wine

12 small redskin potatoes, scrubbed and halved

2 carrots, thickly sliced

1¹/₂ cup Beef Stock or purchased stock

1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes, undrained

2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

1 bay leaf

Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

1. Bring a saucepan of water to a boil. Add the cippolini onions, and boil for 1 minute. Drain onions, and run cold tap water over them. Peel onions, and trim off root end, keeping onions whole. Arrange onions in the slow cooker.

2. Coat lamb with flour, shaking off any excess. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add lamb cubes, and brown on all sides. Remove lamb from the pan with a slotted spoon, and transfer it to the slow cooker. Add yellow onion and garlic to the skillet. Cook, stirring frequently, for 3 minutes, or until onion is translucent. Scrape mixture into the slow cooker.

3. Add wine to the skillet, and bring to a boil, stirring to dislodge the brown bits in the skillet. Pour mixture into the slow cooker. Add potatoes, carrots, stock, tomatoes, parsley, and bay leaf to the slow cooker, and stir well.

4. Cook on Low for 8 to 10 hours or on High for 4 to 5 hours, or until lamb and vegetables are tender. Remove and discard bay leaf, season to taste with salt and pepper to taste, and serve hot.

Note: The dish can be prepared up to 2 days in advance and refrigerated, tightly covered. Reheat it, covered, in a 350°F oven for 20 to 25 minutes, or until hot.

Variation:

 Substitute cubes of beef chuck for the lamb shoulder.

If you see a potato that has a greenish tinge, it means it was exposed to light. Cut away that portion of the potato because the green flesh can be toxic. Store potatoes in a cool, dry place—but not with onions. Onions give off a natural gas that can cause potatoes to rot more quickly.