Stufat de miel cu ceapă verde și usturoi verde (Romanian Lamb Stew)
Details
This traditional Romanian stew, known as "Stufat," is a true celebration of spring. It's a hearty, slow-cooked dish where tender lamb is braised in a rich tomato and white wine sauce, but the real star is the generous amount of spring onion and green garlic. The dish is famously finished with beautiful, braided wreaths of garlic leaves, which soften in the oven, infusing the entire stew with a mellow, sweet garlic flavour. It's a rustic, comforting meal, perfect for a festive gathering and a must-try for any garlic lover looking for an authentic taste of Romanian home cooking.
Ingredients
Instructions
Prepare the Meat
Cut the lamb into suitable portions. Pat the pieces dry with a paper towel and season them generously with salt and pepper.
Sear the Lamb
In a large, oven-safe pot or Dutch oven, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the lamb pieces in batches, being careful not to overcrowd the pan. Brown the meat on all sides. Once browned, remove the lamb from the pot and set it aside.
Sauté the Aromatics
Reduce the heat to medium. Trim the spring onions and green garlic, separating the white and light green parts from the dark green leaves. Chop the white/light green parts into rounds. Set aside the dark green garlic leaves for later. Add the chopped onions and garlic to the same pot and cook gently until they soften and become translucent, about 5-7 minutes.
Deglaze and Create the Sauce
Pour the white wine into the pot to deglaze, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Allow the wine to bubble and reduce by about half. Stir in the tomato passata, season with a little more salt and pepper, and bring the sauce to a simmer.
Braise the Stew
Return the browned lamb pieces to the pot, nestling them into the sauce. Ensure the meat is mostly covered by the liquid. Bring back to a gentle simmer, then cover the pot and transfer it to a preheated oven at 180°C (350°F). Cook for about 1.5 to 2 hours, or until the lamb is fork-tender.
Prepare the Garlic Wreaths
While the stew is in the oven, take the reserved dark green garlic leaves. Braid a few of them together to form small wreaths or crowns, securing the ends with kitchen twine if needed.
Final Touches
About 15 minutes before the cooking time is up, remove the pot from the oven. Place the braided garlic wreaths on top of the stew. Return the pot to the oven, uncovered, and cook for the final 15 minutes. This allows the wreaths to soften and the sauce to thicken slightly.
Serve
Let the stew rest for 10-15 minutes before serving. Garnish with fresh chopped parsley. This dish is traditionally served hot with a side of polenta (mămăligă) or crusty bread to soak up the delicious sauce.
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