New England Lamb Bake
Serves 8
This homey, comforting recipe has all the goodness of a shepherd’s pie, and the rich flavor of lamb makes it suitable for company.
Ingredients #
- 1 tablespoon oil
- 2 pounds boneless leg of lamb, cut into 1-inch cubes
- 1 large onion, chopped
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 3 cups chicken broth
- 2 large leeks (white portion only), cut into 1/2-inch slices
- 2 large carrots, sliced
- 2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley, divided
- 1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary, crushed
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
- 3 large potatoes, peeled and sliced
- 3 tablespoons butter, melted and divided
Instructions #
Preheat oven to 375°. In a Dutch oven, heat oil over medium heat. Add lamb and onion; cook and stir until meat is no longer pink. Stir in flour until blended. Gradually add broth. Bring to a boil; cook until thickened, 1-2 minutes, stirring to loosen browned bits from pan. Add leeks, carrots, 1 tablespoon parsley, rosemary, salt, pepper and thyme.
Spoon into a greased 13x9-in. or 3-qt. baking dish. Cover with potato slices; brush with 2 tablespoons melted butter. Bake 1 hour; brush potatoes with remaining butter. Return to oven; bake until meat is tender and potatoes are golden, 30 minutes to 1 hour more. Cool briefly; sprinkle with remaining parsley.
Freeze option: Remove baking dish from oven; cool completely. Before adding remaining parsley, cover dish and freeze. Freeze parsley separately. To use, partially thaw lamb in refrigerator overnight. Remove from refrigerator 30 minutes before baking; thaw remaining parsley. Preheat oven to 350°. Reheat, covered, until a thermometer reads 165°, about 1 hour. Sprinkle with remaining parsley.