The Abruzzo is a wild land, and in the past much of the inland population depended upon their flocks of sheep for survival. This is a modern, more elaborate Abruzzese stewed lamb with onions. To serve 4:
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 65 minutes
Ingredients:
- 2 pounds (900 g) boneless lamb, washed, dried, and cut into pieces
- 2 onions, peeled and left whole
- 1/2 pound (200 g) ripe tomatoes, blanched, peeled, seeded and chopped (canned will be fine)
- 8 slices crusty bread
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- The leaves of an 8-inch (20 cm) sprig of fresh rosemary, chopped (1 tablespoon, or 1/2 teaspoon dried)
- Salt to taste
Preparation:
Put the onions, olive oil, tomatoes, lamb, and a little salt in a pot with a lid that seals tightly, and set the it over a moderate flame. Cook, shaking the pot occasionally, for an hour.
Don't forget to check the liquid level; should the lamb look to be drying out, add a little water, and, if there is too much liquid, remove the lid shortly before the hour is up to allow some to evaporate.
In the meantime, toast the bread and put the slices on the plates.
Spoon the stewed lamb over the bread, together with the vegetables, which will have fallen apart, dust the plates with the rosemary leaves, and serve. The wine? A red, and a Montepulciano D'Abruzzo would be good.
A more traditional variation for this stewed lamb Abruzzese style: No tomatoes, and no rosemary: simply stew the lamb with the onions and serve it over toasted bread.
Don't forget to check the liquid level; should the lamb look to be drying out, add a little water, and, if there is too much liquid, remove the lid shortly before the hour is up to allow some to evaporate.
In the meantime, toast the bread and put the slices on the plates.
Spoon the stewed lamb over the bread, together with the vegetables, which will have fallen apart, dust the plates with the rosemary leaves, and serve. The wine? A red, and a Montepulciano D'Abruzzo would be good.
A more traditional variation for this stewed lamb Abruzzese style: No tomatoes, and no rosemary: simply stew the lamb with the onions and serve it over toasted bread.
