Lamb Barley Stew
I was surprised my hubby ate this dish; he is not a big fan of lamb but he loved it and loved the flavor.
The long slow cooking made the lamb tender and falls off the bones, it had a delicious melt in your mouth scrumptious flavor.
Barley was a surprise addition for my hubby, he never ate it before, and honestly, I never cooked it before!
I bought the bag of barley I think three months ago when I was checking out the grains at the store and it caught my eye and I thought why not, so I bought it and I have been wanting to use it in one of my recipes for a while.
It added a delicious healthy texture to the stew , I also added large carrots and I was surprised they held their shape even with the long cooking time!
Oh yes I forgot to mention, this dish is cooked in the slow cooker, yes over night or all day… you either wake up to the delicious aroma filling your home or having the delicious aroma when you walk in after work.
The dish was so hearty that I did not serve any side dish with it.
.3-4 lb. lamb shanks
.2 cups barley rinsed
.1 large onion chopped
.1 medium serrano pepper chopped
.2 tbsp. fresh rosemary chopped
.2 tbsp. fresh marjoram chopped
.1 tsp fresh thyme chopped
.1 cup celery with leaves chopped
.3 large carrots washed, unpeeled and cut to large pieces
.1 1/4 alcohol free white wine
.6 cups water or vegetable stock
.1 1/2 tbsp. salt
.1 tbsp. black pepper
.1 tsp coriander powder
.1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
.4 tbsp. olive oil divided
.4 cloves garlic smashed
In a small bowl mix salt, black pepper, ground cinnamon and coriander and set aside.
In a heavy bottom pot on high heat, add 2 tbsp. olive oil to heat, sprinkle some of the spice mixer on half of the lamb shank and line in single layer in the hot oil.
Brown the lamb on each side; the lamb will not be fully cooked remove to the insert of the slow cooker.
Continue with the rest of the lamb making sure to sprinkle some of the spices on each addition.
Add the remaining olive oil; add onion, carrots, serrano pepper, garlic, and celery, brown for few minutes making sure to add the rest of the spice mixture, stir for about 2-3 minutes.
Add the white wine to deglaze the pan, add the herb mixture, and stir for 1 minute making sure to left all the delicious flavor from the bottom of the pan.
Add the mixture to the lamb, add barely, water, and mix well until the entire ingredients incorporated.
Turn on the slow cooker on low heat for 8 hours. Enjoy!