Lamb Basque Stew

Hi all- Quick post. Since it is completely freezing out, I decided to give you a warm stew to make for dinner Sunday. I am just going to tell you flat out this is not my recipe. For once in my life, I did not feel any need to tinker. The recipe is from a site called simplyrecipes.com. The stew has a very unusual set of flavors, and is a wonderful improvement on old fashioned beef stew. I make it in a crock pot instead of on the stove, just for practical reasons. All you have to do is brown the meat first, then throw it in the crock pot on low for 4 hours or so. Try it!

Here's the link:
http://www.simplyrecipes.com/recipes/basque_lamb_stew/#ixzz3QzsLIhP5

3 1/2 lbs. lamb shoulder, cut into 2 inch pieces
6 cloves garlic, crushed and peeled
1 sprig fresh rosemary, about 1 tablespoon chopped
1/2 cup dry white wine
2 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1 large onion, peeled and chopped
Salt
2 teaspoons sweet paprika
1 10-ounce can roasted red bell peppers, cut into 1/2 inch strips
1 large ripe tomato, peeled, seeded, and chopped
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
1 bay leaf
1 cup dry, full-bodied red wine
1 cup chicken stock*
Freshly ground black pepper

Method
1 Combine the lamb, half of the garlic cloves, rosemary, and white wine in a medium bowl. Let marinate for 2 to 3 hours. Drain the meat, discard the marinade, and pat dry with paper towels. Mince the remaining garlic cloves and set aside.
2 Heat olive oil in a large, heavy-bottomed pan with lid, over medium-high heat. Working in batches, brown the meat on all sides, about 10 minutes per batch. Salt the meat as it browns.

3 Remove the meat from the pan and add the onions to the pan. Cook, scraping browned bits stuck to the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon, until the onions are soft, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook another minute.

4 Return the meat to the pan with the onions and garlic. Stir in paprika, roasted peppers, tomatoes, parsley, bay leaf, and red wine. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium, and simmer uncovered for 15 minutes, allowing the liquids to reduce a bit. Then add the chicken stock, bring to a boil, reduce heat to low and simmer, covered, stirring occasionally, until meat is very tender, 2 to 2 1/2 hours. Add freshly ground black pepper and more salt to taste.

Skip the coffee, go straight to coffee cake

Here's the thing about coffee cake. All that stuff you find in grocery stores and even most bakeries has nothing to do with real coffee cake.  Real coffee cake is rich and the texture is out of this world.  You find yourself thinking about it for the rest of the day- what the heck was in that? And how can I get some more? I really hope you try this recipe. It might just change your life. Or at least impress your mother-in-law.

The recipe is not difficult, but it takes a few steps, and you really do need buttermilk- the lactic acid in buttermilk is what turns the cake from ho-hum into holy moly. I think this recipe is a bit easier than others because it combines the making of the crumb topping with the making of the cake. Another item to note- I use both a Kitchen Aid mixer and a Cuisinart food processor. These tools are not necessary, but they sure make it a snap.

The other great thing about coffee cake is that it is incredibly flexible. Once you see how easy the basic recipe is, you can start adding your own variations- add blueberries! Mini chocolate chips sprinkled over the top! Crumb topping in the middle! The sky is the limit here. 

Ingredients

To prepare the pan:
Butter or cooking spray
1 tblsp flour for dusting

Cake:
2 cups all purpose flour, sifted
1 cup + 2 tblsp sugar
1 tsp salt
10 tblsp unsalted butter, cold
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
3/4 cup buttermilk, at room temp
1 large egg, at room temp
2 tsps vanilla extract
2/3 cup brown sugar
1 tsp cinnamon


My mother asked me how I get the topping so crumbly. I process it in the food processor. That's all.

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Prepare the pan. I use a 9 inch spring form pan. If you don't have one, or have no idea what I'm talking about, use a 9x9 square baking dish. It's just a bit easier to get out with the spring form pan. Spray or grease the sides and bottom of the pan, then lightly dust all over with the 1 tblsp flour.
3. Now, mix the flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder and salt together in your mixer or by hand until combined.
4. Cut the cold butter into small pieces.
5.Put the flour/sugar/salt/soda/powder mixture in the Cuisinart. Toss in the butter. Process for 15 seconds or until it is a coarse meal. Set aside 1 cup of this butter/flour mixture for your crumb topping.
6. Put the rest of the mixture back in the Kitchen Aid mixing bowl. Add the room temperature buttermilk, egg and the 2 tsps vanilla. Mix everything until it is smooth, and it will resemble frosting, (as my daughter pointed out). The batter will be super thick and smell so good!
7. Spoon the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top.
8. Make the crumb topping by adding the brown sugar and the cinnamon to the reserved flour/sugar mixture. Mix with a fork until blended will but still a little crumbly. Sprinkle the crumb topping over the cake batter.
9. Bake the cake at 350 until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, and/or the middle is firm to the touch. Takes approximately 55 minutes, depending on your oven.

Be sure to cool for 10 minutes in the pan and then take it out! Don't leave in the pan too long, or try to take it out immediately. It takes about 2 hours to cool completely, although we can never wait that long. And it's even better after a day or so! Enjoy.