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Lamb Clappasade

This traditional stew from the Languedoc region is France features an unusual mix of honey, star anise, and green olives to infuse the lamb with regional flavors. Recipe is adapted from Chef Christopher Lee.
Print Recipe
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 30 minutes
Servings: 2
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: French
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 1 ½ lb boneless lamb shoulder cut into large 2 inch chunks, trimmed of fat
  • 3 Tb olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 c onion finely chopped
  • 1 Tb all purpose flour
  • ⅔ c dry white wine
  • 1 ½ c chicken stock
  • 1 c pitted green olives
  • 1 ea bay leaf
  • 2 ea star anise
  • ¼ teaspoon ground white pepper
  • 1 ½ Tb honey
  • 2 ea carrots peeled and cut into 1 inch chunks
  • 3 Tb parsley chopped for garnish

Equipment

  • 1 Dutch oven or pot for cooking stew

Method
 

  1. Heat a Dutch oven on the stove to sear the meat over medium high heat. I find a 2 ½ qt or 4 qt sized dutch oven works really well.
  2. Toss the lamb with half of the olive oil (1 ½ Tb) and salt. Add to the Dutch oven in a single layer. Sear each side for 1-2 minutes until brown. (I was able to get the 1 ½ lbs of meat seared in one batch.) Set aside meat to a separate plate.
  3. Lower the temperature of the stove to medium heat. Add the remaining oil to the hot pan. Add the onion and saute for 5-6 minutes until the onions are softened.
  4. Sprinkle the flour over the onions. Stir for 1-2 minute to cook the flour.
  5. Deglaze the pan with the white wine. Cook for 2-3 minutes, scraping up any browned bits from the pan.
  6. Add the lamb back to the pan along with the remaining ingredients, except for the parsley garnish. I add a little sprinkle of salt to season the vegetables.
  7. Cover and cook over low to medium heat for 1 to 1 ½ hours until the lamb is tender enough to bit without chewing too hard. Check the pan every so often to make sure it's not burning. Add a little bit of water as needed if the liquid reduces too much. the liquid should be at least ½ way up the height of the meat.
  8. Taste and add salt and pepper as you please. Garnish with parsley and serve!

Notes

This recipe is adapted from Chef Christopher Lee as featured in the Kermit Lynch newsletter in April 2021. Kermit Lynch is a wine shop in Berkeley, CA.