St. David’s Stew

A blessed St. David’s day to you all! May we, like St. David, be bold and fervently proclaim the good news of the gospel in our own time.

I’m prone to celebrate this feast for several reasons, not the least of which is my middle name, David. I’m also keen on the ruggedness of Welsh landscapes and their many fine hymn tunes (think Cwm Rhonda, St Denio, Hyfrydol, and Llanfair, to mention only a few). Heck, their stew is pretty good, too.

Speaking of food, it is traditional on this day to wear a daffodil in your jacket and to have cawl, yes, cawl for dinner. Cawl is Welsh-speak for soup or stew. So here’s my take on Lamb Stew, which admittedly in my variant, finds its roots in the sud-oeust of France more so than the fields of Wales.

Finally, as you prepare this gustatory delight, ponder the words of St. David, which he uttered on his deathbed: ‘Brothers be ye constant. The yoke which with single mind ye have taken, bear ye to the end; and whatsoever ye have seen with me and heard, keep and fulfill'.

May we be so bold as place Christ at the centre of our lives! Pray for us St. David.

Lamb Stew (a.k.a. Cawl a la Charleston)

INGREDIENTS
• 3 1/2 lbs. lamb shoulder, cut into 2 inch pieces

• 6 cloves garlic, crushed and peeled

• 2 sprigs fresh rosemary

• 1/2 cup dry white wine (Montrachet is best)

• 3 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

• 2 large chopped onions

• Salt and freshly ground pepper

• 2 teaspoons sweet paprika

• 3 canned roasted red bell peppers, cut into 1/2 inch strips

• 1 fresh yellow bell peppers, cut into ½ inch strips

• 1 large ripe tomato, peeled, seeded, and chopped

• 1 medium can of chopped tomatoes

• 4-6 sprigs parsley, chopped

• 2 bay leaves

• 1/2 cup dry, full-bodied red wine (I’m thinking something from the Haut-Medoc or St. Estephe)

• ½ cup Ruby port

• 1/2 cup chicken stock

INSTRUCTIONS

1 Combine the lamb, the garlic cloves, rosemary, and white wine in a medium bowl. Let marinate for 4 hours. Drain the meat, discard the marinade, and pat dry with paper towels.

2 Heat olive oil in a large, dutch oven (or a heavy-bottomed sauté pan), over medium-high heat. Working in batches, brown the meat on all sides, about 10 minutes per batch. Return all meat to the pot. Add onions, minced garlic, and salt and pepper to taste, and cook, scraping browned bits stuck to the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon, until the onions are soft, about 5 minutes. Stir in paprika, add roasted and fresh peppers, tomatoes, parsley, bay leaf, port, and red wine. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium, and simmer until juices in pot reduce and thicken.

3 Add chicken stock, cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer, stirring occasionally, until meat is very tender, 2 to 2 1/2 hours. Adjust seasonings.

Serves 4 to 6.