Chef Ally
Cauliflower Soup with Capers and Lemon
A silky, ivory-colored soup that proves cauliflower needs nothing but good stock, a generous pour of olive oil, and the bright punctuation of capers and lemon to become something extraordinary.
Culinary Explorer
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Lamb and White Bean Stew with Preserved Lemon
Created by
Lamb shoulder braised until it surrenders to the spoon, nestled among creamy white beans and perfumed with cumin, coriander, and the bright, fermented punch of preserved lemon that wakes the whole pot.
Soups & Stews
Mediterranean
Dinner Party
Comfort Food
Make Ahead
45 min
Active Time
3 hr cook•3 hr 45 min total
Yield6 servings
Start with the lamb. Find a farmer who raises animals on pasture, who can tell you what the sheep ate and how they lived. Lamb shoulder or neck, bone-in, is what you want here. The bones and connective tissue will dissolve over hours of gentle braising, giving the broth a richness no boneless cut can match.
The beans matter just as much. Dried beans from this year's harvest cook evenly and taste of something. Old beans from the back of a grocery shelf will never soften properly, no matter how long you simmer. Seek out a source. Rancho Gordo, a local farm, your farmers market. The difference is not subtle.
This is a dish that asks for time but very little of you. Brown the lamb, build a fragrant base of onions and spices, add the beans and stock, then let the oven do the work. The preserved lemon goes in near the end, its bright acidity cutting through the richness and lifting every spoonful. This is the kind of cooking that fills a house with warmth on a cold evening, the kind of meal that brings people to the kitchen before you call them.
The technique, the tradition, and the story behind every dish.
Discover Culinary ExplorerIngredients
bone-in lamb shoulder or neck
Quantity
2 1/2 pounds
cut into 2-inch pieces
dried cannellini or Great Northern beans
Quantity
1 1/2 cups
soaked overnight
extra-virgin olive oil
Quantity
3 tablespoons, plus more for finishing
yellow onion
Quantity
1 large
diced
garlic cloves
Quantity
4
minced
carrots
Quantity
2 medium
peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
celery stalks
Quantity
2
cut into 1-inch pieces
ground cumin
Quantity
2 teaspoons
ground coriander
Quantity
1 teaspoon
ground turmeric
Quantity
1/2 teaspoon
ground cinnamon
Quantity
1/4 teaspoon
whole peeled tomatoes
Quantity
1 can (14.5 ounces)
crushed by hand
lamb or chicken stock
Quantity
6 cups
preferably homemade
bay leaves
Quantity
2
preserved lemon
Quantity
1
pulp discarded, rind rinsed and finely chopped
fresh cilantro leaves
Quantity
1/2 cup
roughly chopped
fresh flat-leaf parsley
Quantity
1/4 cup
roughly chopped
kosher salt
Quantity
to taste
black pepper
Quantity
to taste
freshly ground
crusty bread
Quantity
for serving
| Ingredient | Quantity |
|---|---|
| bone-in lamb shoulder or neckcut into 2-inch pieces | 2 1/2 pounds |
| dried cannellini or Great Northern beanssoaked overnight | 1 1/2 cups |
| extra-virgin olive oil | 3 tablespoons, plus more for finishing |
| yellow oniondiced | 1 large |
| garlic clovesminced | 4 |
| carrotspeeled and cut into 1-inch pieces | 2 medium |
| celery stalkscut into 1-inch pieces | 2 |
| ground cumin | 2 teaspoons |
| ground coriander | 1 teaspoon |
| ground turmeric | 1/2 teaspoon |
| ground cinnamon | 1/4 teaspoon |
| whole peeled tomatoescrushed by hand | 1 can (14.5 ounces) |
| lamb or chicken stockpreferably homemade | 6 cups |
| bay leaves | 2 |
| preserved lemonpulp discarded, rind rinsed and finely chopped | 1 |
| fresh cilantro leavesroughly chopped | 1/2 cup |
| fresh flat-leaf parsleyroughly chopped | 1/4 cup |
| kosher salt | to taste |
| black pepperfreshly ground | to taste |
| crusty bread | for serving |
Equipment Needed
- •Large Dutch oven with tight-fitting lid (5-7 quart)
- •Heavy-bottomed skillet for browning if needed
- •Wooden spoon for scraping fond
Instructions
- 1
Prepare the beans
Drain the soaked beans and rinse them well. If you forgot to soak them overnight, cover them with cold water in a pot, bring to a boil, turn off the heat, and let them sit covered for one hour. This quick soak is not ideal but will work. Beans that have soaked overnight cook more evenly and hold their shape better.
Never add salt to beans until they are nearly tender. Salt too early and the skins will toughen before the insides soften. - 2
Brown the lamb
Preheat your oven to 325 degrees. Pat the lamb pieces completely dry with paper towels. Wet meat steams instead of browning. Season generously with salt and pepper on all sides. Heat the olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat until it shimmers. Working in batches to avoid crowding, brown the lamb on all sides, about three to four minutes per side. The meat should release easily when it has developed a proper crust. Transfer browned pieces to a plate.
Do not rush this step. The fond, those caramelized bits stuck to the pot, will become the foundation of your stew's flavor. - 3
Build the aromatic base
Reduce heat to medium. Add the onion to the pot and cook, stirring occasionally and scraping up the fond, until softened and golden at the edges, about eight minutes. Add the garlic, carrots, and celery. Cook until fragrant and the vegetables begin to soften, another five minutes. The kitchen should smell alive.
- 4
Toast the spices
Add the cumin, coriander, turmeric, and cinnamon to the vegetables. Stir constantly for about one minute until the spices are fragrant and have coated everything. Toasting spices in fat blooms their essential oils and deepens their flavor. You will smell the difference.
- 5
Combine and braise
Return the lamb and any accumulated juices to the pot. Add the hand-crushed tomatoes, drained beans, stock, and bay leaves. The liquid should nearly cover everything. Bring to a simmer, then cover the pot with a tight-fitting lid. Transfer to the oven and braise for two and a half to three hours. The stew is ready when the lamb falls apart at the touch of a fork and the beans are creamy throughout.
Check the stew once at the halfway point. If the liquid has reduced too much, add a splash of stock. If it looks thin, leave the lid slightly ajar for the second half. - 6
Finish with preserved lemon
Remove the pot from the oven. Discard the bay leaves. Stir in the chopped preserved lemon rind and let it meld with the stew for five minutes. The lemon should brighten everything without overwhelming the lamb. Taste and adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper. The stew will likely need more salt than you expect.
- 7
Serve with herbs
Ladle the stew into warm bowls. Scatter generously with cilantro and parsley. Finish each bowl with a good drizzle of your best olive oil. Serve immediately with crusty bread for soaking up every drop of the broth. This is a dish meant to be passed around a table, spooned over itself, returned to for seconds.
Chef Tips
- •Seek out lamb from a farmer who raises animals on pasture. The flavor is incomparable, and your purchase supports the kind of agriculture we need more of.
- •Homemade stock transforms this stew. If you roast a chicken, save the carcass. Simmer it with onion, carrot, celery, and a bay leaf for two hours. Strain and freeze. You will never go back to the boxed kind.
- •Preserved lemons are worth making yourself. Quarter lemons, pack them in salt, cover with lemon juice, and wait a month. They keep for a year and cost almost nothing.
- •This stew improves overnight. Make it the day before your dinner party. The flavors will deepen and meld. Reheat gently on the stovetop, adding a splash of stock if it has thickened too much.
- •If lamb shoulder is hard to find, ask your butcher for lamb neck or shank. Any cut with bone and connective tissue will work beautifully.
Advance Preparation
- •Beans can be soaked up to 24 hours ahead and refrigerated in their soaking water. Drain before using.
- •The complete stew can be made 2 to 3 days ahead and refrigerated. The flavor improves with time. Reheat gently on the stovetop.
- •Preserved lemons take about a month to cure but keep for up to a year. Start a jar now for your next batch.
- •The stew freezes well for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and reheat slowly, adding stock as needed.
Frequently Asked Questions
Nutrition Information
1 serving (about 480g)
Calories
600 calories
Total Fat
27 g
Saturated Fat
9 g
Trans Fat
0 g
Unsaturated Fat
16 g
Cholesterol
100 mg
Sodium
1000 mg
Total Carbohydrates
39 g
Dietary Fiber
9 g
Sugars
3 g
Protein
48 g
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