PIPESTONE LAMB STEW

      Title: PIPESTONE LAMB STEW
  Categories: Harned 1994, Herb/spice, Main dish, Stews, Veal
       Yield: 8 Servings
  
       2    Bay leaves
       1 lg Bunch fresh thyme sprigs* or
       1 ts Dried thyme
       4    Allspice berries
       4 lb Lamb stew meat with bones
            -- trimmed
       2 md Onions; peeled and halved
            -- cut in 1/4" thick slices
       6 lg Garlic cloves; peeled
            -- coarsely chopped
   1 1/2 c  Dry white wine
     1/4 c  Prepared horseradish
     1/4 c  Worcestershire sauce
      28 oz Can plum tomatoes
       3 md Carrots; peeled**
       8 oz Button mushrooms
            -- stems trimmed
            -- caps coarsely chopped
       3 lg Celery ribs; trimmed***
       2 md Waxy potatoes
            -- peeled and quartered
       2 md Russet potatoes; peeled
            -- cut in eighths
            Salt and pepper; to taste
 
 MMMMM--------------------------GARNISH-------------------------------
       1 sm Bunch Italian parsley
            -- (opt'l.)
  
   *Strip leaves from the thyme sprigs, to equal abt. 2 tb. of fresh
   thyme.
   
   **Cut carrots diagonally into 1/2" thick slices.
   
   ***Cut celery ribs diagonally into 1/2" thick slices.
   
   Tie bay leaves, thyme and allspice berries together in a piece of
   cheesecloth; set aside.
   
   Brown lamb on all sides in a large (at least 8 qt.) heavy stockpot
   over medium-high heat, 8 to 10 minutes. Add the onions and garlic and
   cook, stirring frequently, until onions begin to turn translucent, 3
   to 4 minutes.
   
   Add the cheesecloth bundle, wine, horseradish, Worcestershire and all
   the vegetables to the meat, crushing the tomatoes with your hands or
   a wooden spoon.  Season generously with salt and pepper.  Bring to a
   boil, then cover, reduce heat to medium, and cook until potatoes are
   tender and lamb is falling from the bone, about 3 hours. (You can
   also transfer the stew to a preheated 350 F. oven and cook it there
   for the same amount of time.)
   
   Remove cover and continue cooking the stew until it has thickened
   somewhat but is still soupy, an additional 1 to 1 1/2 hours. Remove
   the cheesecloth bundle and season to taste, adding more horseradish
   if you like. Mince parsley; sprinkle over stew.  Serve immediately.
   
   Yield: 8 to 10 servings.  St. Francis Merlot 1987 goes well with this.
   
   Note: This is a good dish to prepare a day ahead. Remove the
   cheesecloth bundle and refrigerate the stew overnight. The next day,
   skim any fat that has solidified on the surface and reheat the stew.
   Season to taste, adding more horseradish if you like. Garnish with
   parsley and serve.
   
   Loomis writes:  "This recipe comes from Ann Olson, whose husband,
   Sherman, raises sheep - and the grains they eat - on their farm in
   Danvers, Minnesota.  Ann makes a variety of lamb dishes throughout
   the year, and this is one of her favorites.  ('Pipestone' is the name
   of a town in southern Minnesota, the home of a school where
   youngsters learn to raise sheep.  This stew, which has evolved over
   the years, is made there.)
   
   "Horseradish is a curious seasoning for lamb, but it adds a pleasant
   bite...Lamb stew meat is often neck meat, which is some of the most
   flavorful on the animal. If you do use neck meat, consider removing
   the considerable amount of bone before serving the stew."
   
   From _Farm House Cookbook_ by Susan Herrmann Loomis. New York: Workman
   Publishing Company, Inc., 1991.  Pp. 135-136. ISBN 0-89480-772-2.
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