This is a long process, but worth it... so says James Beard. It is best to start the dish a day in advance. Make the broth first. Brown the bones and neck in a hot oven, 425 to 450 degrees. Combine them with the vegetables, seasonings, and water. Simmer 4 to 5 hours. Cool overnight. Then skim off the fat, strain off the broth, and set aside.
Ingredients (for the broth):
2 lbs or more lamb bones and a 1 lb piece of neck
2 leeks
2 large onions
2 large carrots
1 turnip
1 teaspoon thyme
2 to 3 sprigs parsley
3 garlic cloves, crushed
1 1/2 teaspoon salt
2 to 3 quarts water
Ingredients (for the stew):
4 lbs lamb shoulder, cut in 1 ½ inch cubes
Flour for dredging
5 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons oil
12 small carrots (not "baby"… but just small)
3 small turnips, peeled and quartered
16 small onions (boiling onions)
3 leeks cut in 2 inch pieces (white part only)
1 lb snap beans
3 to 4 tablespoons butter kneaded with the same amount of flour
Chopped parsley (Italian flat leaf type)
Preparation:
Dredge the shoulder meat with flour and brown in the hot oil and butter. Transfer to a large Dutch oven or braising pot. Add enough boiling lamb broth (from above … remember, you made it yesterday) to just cover the meat, and return to a boil. Rinse the pan used for browning with a little more of the broth and add to the meat. Simmer covered for 1 hour or until the meat is just tender. Drain, and reserve the broth. Keep the meat worm. In the meantime cook the vegetables in boiling salted water - the carrots and turnips in one pan, the onions and leeks in another, and the snap beans in a third.
Add some of the vegetable juices to the meat broth, and reduce over a rather brisk heat. If you like, thicken the sauce slightly the butter and flour kneaded together, and stir until smooth. Taste the sauce for seasoning. Combine with the meat, carrots, turnips, onions, and leeks, and just heat through. Add the snap beans and heat another moment. Serve on a hot platter lightly sprinkled with chopped parsley.
Serve with Steamed Rice, Mashed Potatoes, and Buttered Noodles
VARIATION: Instead of using all broth in the stew, replace 1/3 of the liquid with a nice dry white wine.
