Lamb Stew

This hearty lamb stew celebrates the flavors of our MAHA® Estate, where our sheep graze among the vineyards, eating grape leaves and spring cover crops. Our lamb is tender and subtly infused with garrigue—a lovely herbaceous character reminiscent of the Mediterranean hillsides. This dish brings together lamb, figs, rosemary, and Meyer lemons, ingredients grown right around our home and vineyard, perfectly complementing Villa Creek wines.

Ingredients

Lamb
4 pounds lamb stew meat, ideally shoulder, cut into 1 1/2 – 2 inch cubes

Seasonings
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon fresh rosemary, minced
Zest of 1 Meyer lemon, minced
1 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon coriander, toasted and ground
1/2 teaspoon cumin, toasted and ground
1/2 teaspoon Spanish paprika

Cooking Stock and Vegetables
1 tablespoon bacon fat or fat from initial searing
2 carrots, diced
1 small onion, diced
1 stick celery, diced
1 cup red wine
1 cup good stock (lamb, chicken, or beef) or additional red wine
1 (8 ounces) can or two large fresh tomatoes
1 cup garbanzo beans, cooked (dried or canned)
10 fresh or dried rehydrated mission figs, quartered

Combine all seasoning ingredients. Toss the seasoning with the lamb stew meat to coat thoroughly. Refrigerate overnight if possible; if short on time, an hour will suffice. Preheat oven to 325°F. Heat a high-sided cast iron pot with olive oil until just smoking. Brown the lamb cubes on all sides. Remove meat and set aside. Deglaze the pot with a splash of red wine, scraping up the browned bits from the bottom. Add the diced carrots, onion, and celery, sautéing over high heat until slightly browned. Return the lamb to the pot, placing it atop the vegetables. Add the remaining red wine and stock. Wrap the pot tightly with plastic wrap, then cover with foil. This method seals in moisture and flavor perfectly. Braise in the oven for 1 hour.
Carefully remove the pot from the oven and discard the plastic wrap and foil. Purée the tomatoes with 1/4 cup of garbanzo beans (this will thicken the stew). Add this tomato mixture, the quartered figs, and the remaining whole garbanzo beans to the pot. Cover with foil and return to the oven. Continue cooking for about 1 hour more, until the meat is tender and the sauce has thickened slightly.

Serving Suggestions: Enjoy this stew with a glass of Villa Creek High Road, alongside hot buttered egg noodles and a lemony kale salad with almonds.

Notes: Garrigue - A fun-to-say wine geek term describing herbaceous qualities in wine and food, referring to the low-growing vegetation on the limestone hills of the Mediterranean coast.