A Very Special Birthday Dinner
Stew is known as a comfort food, not usually served on a special occasion. However, I knew from our trip to Ireland that Colette loves lamb stew. I just knew that this was the perfect main dish for a group of people that love tasty food.
I use a classic lamb stew recipe with easy to find ingredients, that calls for low and slow cooking. More importantly, I use quality fresh ingredients, starting with lamb. Our family raises Dorper sheep. We love the mild flavor and the tenderness of the meat.
I have prepared lamb stew using a recipe that I found online. I found the instructions easy to follow and the stew has been delicious and tender every time. I also love that it only requires one pot. You can find the recipe for lamb stew by clicking on the link Natasha’s Kitchen Lamb Stew Recipe.
One thing that I need to mention is that we raise our own sheep. We did lots of research and decided that the Dorper sheep was the way to go, and we are glad that we did. They provide a tender, yet mild flavored meat.
A celebration dinner merits a good wine. I use wine from my favorite local winery, Jeremy’s Wine Co. I love all the wines there, but for the lamb stew I prefer a hearty Grenache. It works amazingly well with the stew, in the preparation and the dining experience.
As I mentioned earlier, my dear friends are hearty eaters. The recipe feeds 8 people, and while the guest list was for 6, that just would not be enough food! We must have some leftovers for the next day. I searched the internet for side dishes to serve with lamb. While the recipes that I chose were not specifically for lamb stew, I am happy with the variety of textures, colors, and flavors of the final menu.
For the salad I selected a classic Lebanese Fattoush Salad. I love the fresh colors that really brighten up the menu. The bright greens of the lettuce with the vibrant red of the radishes, the juicy tomatoes and the crunch of the pita bread, and tangy yet sweet dressing made with fresh pomegranate juice freshly harvested that day. This salad can be quickly tossed together on any weeknight. Just make plenty of dressing to have on hand and you can enjoy this salad within 15 minutes. There are many variations so experiment and find your favorite.
I chose three vegetable dishes that would be easy to prepare, pleasing to the eye and palate. I prepared spicy green beans. Wash and trim the green beans. Sauté in a skillet (I use iron) with a little olive oil, minced garlic, season with salt and sprinkle with chili flakes. Sauté until just tender and the chili flakes have released their oils.
Next, Brussels sprouts with bacon. In a skillet, brown thinly sliced pieces of bacon, about ½ pound. Add two pounds of Brussel sprouts, washed and trimmed. Add 2 cloves garlic, minced. Sauté until fork tender. You can cover the pan to speed up the cooking, but I like my Brussel sprouts to retain their bright green color and crispness. Season with salt and pepper to your taste.
The prettiest vegetable dish was rainbow carrots with pomegranate molasses. The molasses does need to be prepared ahead of time. You can find a recipe on the link Pomegranate Molasses. For this dish, wash and trim the carrots. Slice lengthwise to make them more uniform in size so they cook at the same rate. Drizzle the carrots with olive oil, then add the salt, pepper and za’atar. Roast in the broiler for about 10-20 minutes depending on the size of the carrots. Remove from oven and place on a plate. Drizzle with pomegranate molasses and arils before serving. I chose to use za’atar spice and pomegranate molasses, and you can find the recipe at the link Roasted Carrots with Za’atar, Pomegranate Seeds and Molasses. If you cannot find za’atar, Roasted Rainbow Carrots uses Italian herbs.
The evening was an enormous success. Delicious food and kind friends make for good times and fond memories.
