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Ensopado de borrego
Lamb stew over bread
Ensopado de borrego: Alentejo lamb stew with garlic, paprika and mint, ladled over slices of bread
Ensopado means soaked, and the bread is the point: Alentejo shepherds' lamb is stewed with garlic, onion, paprika and a little white wine until it falls off the bone, then the rich broth is ladled over slices of country bread in deep plates. It is Easter food in the region, when the spring lambs are ready, and a dish for long Sunday lunches. The wine contains alcohol; use extra stock with a spoonful of vinegar if you prefer. A common mistake is using lean leg meat, which turns dry; shoulder or neck stays juicy. Chef's tip: marinate the lamb overnight in the fridge with the garlic and paprika; the flavour goes right through.
- Total time
- 125 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 6
Ingredients
- 3 ⅓ lb lamb shoulder or neck on the bonecut into large chunks
- 6 cloves garliccrushed
- 1 tbsp sweet paprika
- 2 tsp salt
- ¾ cup dry white wineor stock with 1 tbsp vinegar for alcohol-free
- 4 tbsp olive oil
- 2 onionssliced
- 2 ½ cups hot water or lamb stock
- 1 small bunch fresh mint
- 12 slices day-old country breadtoasted or dried in the oven
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Method
0/6 doneStep 1: Mix 3 ⅓ lb lamb shoulder or neck on the bone with 6 cloves garlic, 1 tbsp sweet paprika, 2 tsp salt, 2 bay leaves and ¾ cup dry white wine. Cover and marinate in the fridge for at least 4 hours, ideally overnight.
240 minStep 2: Lift the lamb out of the marinade, keeping the liquid, and pat dry. Heat 4 tbsp olive oil in a heavy casserole over a medium-high heat and brown the lamb in batches for 6–8 minutes until deep brown on all sides.
15 minStep 3: Lower the heat, add 2 onions and cook for 8 minutes until soft and golden, scraping up the browned bits.
8 minStep 4: Return the lamb with the marinade and let it bubble for 3 minutes. Add 2 ½ cups hot water or lamb stock to just cover, bring to a simmer, cover and cook gently for 1¼–1½ hours.
80 minStep 5: The stew is ready when the meat is very tender and pulls away from the bone with a fork. Add half the 1 small bunch fresh mint for the last 5 minutes, then taste for salt; the broth should be plentiful, so add a little water if it has reduced too much.
Step 6: Lay two slices of 12 slices day-old country bread in each deep plate, ladle over the hot broth until the bread is soaked, then add the lamb. Finish with the rest of the mint leaves.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 640 kcal
- Protein
- 46 g
- Carbs
- 42 g
- Fat
- 31 g
- Fibre
- 3 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does ensopado de borrego take?
- About 125 minutes in total: 20 minutes to prepare and 105 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 6 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- What can I use instead of garlic?
- ½ tsp garlic paste or ⅛ tsp garlic powder per clove.
- What can I use instead of sweet paprika?
- Smoked paprika, half the amount.
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