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Herbed Lamb and White Bean Ragout
Herbed Lamb and White Bean Ragout
Print Recipe Herbed Lamb and White Bean Ragout

Ingredients

  • 1 ½ cups (about 10 ounces) dried small beans, such as flageolets, cannellini or baby limas, picked over
  • 3 pounds lamb, preferably shoulder, cut into well-trimmed 1-inch cubes
  • 1 cup dry red wine
  • cup red wine vinegar
  • 8 garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped
  • 6 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 ½ tablespoons herbes de Provence, crumbled
  • 2 bay leaves
  • Freshly ground black pepper
  • 2 ½ cups diced (½-inch) carrot (about 5 medium) 
  • 2 cups chopped yellow onion
  • 3 tablespoons unbleached all-purpose flour
  • 1 (28-ounce) can plum tomatoes, crushed, with their juices
  • 2 ½ cups chicken stock or canned beef broth, plus extra stock for thinning
  • 2 teaspoons salt
  • ¾ cup drained Niçoise olives
  • ½ cup finely chopped flat-leaf parsley
  • 3 tablespoons minced mixed fresh herbs, such as rosemary, thyme and oregano

Instructions

  • In a medium bowl, cover the beans with cold water. Let soak for at least 4 hours or overnight for convenience.
  • In a large, nonreactive bowl, combine the lamb, wine, vinegar, garlic, 2 tablespoons of the olive oil, the herbes de Provence, bay leaves and a generous grinding of pepper. Cover and marinate at room temperature, stirring once or twice, for 2 hours or overnight in the refrigerator. Return to room temperature if chilled.
  • Meanwhile, drain the beans. In a medium pan, cover them with fresh cold water. Set over medium heat and bring to a boil. Tightly cover and lower the heat until the beans simmer gently. Cook until just tender, 40 to 50 minutes (bean cooking times vary widely; add boiling water as needed and continue to simmer until tender). Drain. 
  • Position a rack in the lower third of the oven and preheat to 350°F. 
  • With a slotted spoon, lift the lamb from the marinade, reserving the marinade. Pat the lamb dry with paper towels. Set a large, heavy 5 ½-quart ovenproof pan (such as a Dutch oven or a covered flameproof casserole) over medium-high heat. Add 2 tablespoons of the oil, and when it is hot, working in 4 or 5 batches to avoid crowding the pan, brown the lamb well on all sides, about 7 minutes per batch. Transfer the browned lamb to a bowl. Add additional olive oil to the pan by tablespoons as necessary to prevent sticking.
  • Add the remaining olive oil to the pan. Stir in the carrot and onion. Lower the heat, cover the pan and cook, stirring occasionally and scraping the browned bits from the bottom, for 7 minutes. Sprinkle the flour over the vegetables and cook uncovered without browning the flour, stirring once or twice, for 3 minutes. Add the browned lamb, reserved marinade, crushed tomatoes, stock, salt and ¾ teaspoon pepper. Cover and bring to a simmer.
  • Set the pan in the oven and bake, stirring occasionally and regulating the oven temperature if necessary to maintain the stew at a moderate simmer, for 45 minutes. Uncover and bake for another 45 minutes. Stir in the beans and bake until the stew is thick and the meat and beans are tender, another 10 to 15 minutes. Remove from the oven. (The stew can be prepared to this point up to 2 days in advance. Cool completely, cover and refrigerate. Rewarm over low heat, stirring occasionally, until steaming. Thin the stew with additional stock only after it is hot). Stir in the olives, parsley and mixed herbs. Cover and let stand 1 minute. Adjust the seasoning. Serve hot, on heated plates.