This melt in your mouth classic lamb heart stew is an absolute joy. If you're unsure about the idea of eating lamb heart, give it a chance... trust me, you'll be absolutely bowled over.
Tender and succulent, with a rich taste that is just so satisfying, this is one stew you're going to want to make again and again!
Lamb heart is a delicacy that so few people take the chance on. If you do, you'll be richly rewarded, as the taste is mild yet rich and delicious. It's also a meat that lends well to being slow cooked. Just brown it at a high temperature and baste it in a casserole with all the other ingredients at a low heat.
Low and slow really is the key with this one. The thing is, the wait is more than worth it!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Even though there are lots of different steps, this recipe is very easy to make
- Slow cooked lamb hearts are melt in your mouth delicious
- Simple quality ingredients that are good for you
- Everything is cooked in one pot
Equipment Needed To Lamb Stew
There are a few essential items you’ll need to make this recipe:
- Heavy bottom casserole pan – instead of using a frying pan to sear the lamb hearts, use a quality casserole pan that can then be used for the slow cooking
- Sharp kitchen knife and chopping board – a sharp knife and chopping board are essential when it comes to preparing the meat and vegetables in this recipe
How To Make Lamb Heart Stew
Chop up the lamb hearts.
Season the flour then dust the meat with it.
Brown the meat in batches and set aside.
Gently fry the onions and garlic until softened.
Add the mushrooms and red wine. Cook for a bit.
Add the rest of the ingredients, then simmer slowly for 2 hours.
Serve with your favourite crusty bread. Enjoy!
Top Tip
Give the meat plenty of time to cook. Remember, low and slow produces delicious meat!
What to Serve with This Recipe
Sides
Plain white rice works perfectly with this rich lamb stew recipe, as does crusty bread. You could also serve your lamb heart stew with noodles or mashed potatoes.
Desserts
After such a rich heavy stew dish, a fresh fruit or berry dessert is ideal. Try a mango bingsu – a fresh and fantastic Korean dessert.
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Wine pairing
Full bodied red wine pairs perfectly with lamb heart stew. Something like a Cabernet Sauvignon.
Variations To This Recipe
Herbs & Spices
I’ve gone for bay leaves, thyme and cloves for this recipe, but there’s lots you can play with. Rosemary works fantastically well with lamb, as does oregano and parsley. In terms of spice, you could also add smoked paprika, cumin, cayenne pepper or any other earthy spice.
Extra richness
There’s a little known trick that elevates all kinds of lamb stews to another level. Towards the beginning of the cooking process, throw a chopped anchovy into the pot. It’ll give the dish a delicious richness, without any kind of fishy flavour.
Slow cooker lamb heart stew
Instead of using a casserole pot, you could cook this recipe in a slow cooker. Just brown the lamb hearts and sauté the onions, mushrooms and garlic in a frying pan before transferring them to the slow cooker.
Popular substitutions
- The original recipe calls for lamb hearts, but you can use other organ meats, such as chicken heart, ox heart or beef tendons.
- If you don’t like the idea of cooking with lamb hearts, you can swap them for lamb shoulder, leg or neck.
- Use dried thyme instead of fresh if you can't get hold of any.
- You can replace vegetable oil with olive oil.
Top Tip
Get your lamb heart from your local butcher. Tell them that you’re cooking a lamb heart stew and they’ll prepare the hearts specifically for this type of cooking, trimming the excess fat and preparing the meat.
What does lamb heart taste like?
Lamb hearts are actually quite mild in flavour. They have a slightly gamey taste, mixed with a kind of chicken flavour.
Many people are put off lamb heart, thinking it tastes similar to liver. However, the taste is totally different. Give it a try!
How do I store leftovers?
You can store lamb heart stew in the fridge. Just make sure you store it in an airtight container.
How long does lamb heart stew last?
When stored in an airtight container in the fridge, it'll last for up to 4 days.
Can you freeze it?
Lamb heart stew freezes well, for up to 3 months. Just make sure you freeze it in a freezable container and label the container with the date of freezing.
How do you reheat leftovers?
You can either reheat lamb heart stew leftovers in the microwave (cover and reheat on full for 2 to 3 minutes) or on the hob, on a medium heat, while stirring continuously.
Can this recipe be scaled?
Absolutely! Just make two or three times as much if you want to make a big batch. You can always store it for longer if necessary.
Other Lamb Recipes You’ll Love
Lamb is such a delicious yet underrated meat. With that in mind, here are some of my favourite lamb recipes for you to try:
- BBQ pulled lamb – forget pulled pork! This burger takes things to a whole new level of deliciousness
- Lamb pasanda – a totally underrated curry, this one is packed full of flavour
- Slow cooked shoulder of lamb – a Sunday lunch classic
- Lamb shish kebab – quick and easy, the perfect fast food
- Roasted lamb ribs – you won't believe how tasty these are!
Don’t forget to come back and let me know how your recipe turned out!
Print📖 Recipe
Lamb Heart Stew
- Total Time: 2 hours 40 minutes
- Yield: 6 servings 1x
- Diet: Low Lactose
Description
If you're not sure about Lamb Heart Stew why not just give it a chance, I'm sure it'll blow away your expectations.
Ingredients
- 30g (¼ cup) flour
- 17g (1 tbsp) salt
- 2g (1 tsp) ground black pepper
- 900g (2lbs) lamb hearts, chopped
- 60ml (4 tbsp) vegetable oil
- 450g (1lb) onion, finely chopped
- 4 garlic cloves, crushed
- 450g (1lb) mushrooms, quartered
- 375ml (1 ½ cups) red wine
- 1L (4 cups) beef, lamb or vegetable stock
- 14g (1 tbsp) tomato paste
- 2 bay leaves
- 3 sprigs fresh thyme
- 900g (2 lbs) potatoes, peeled and quartered
- 450g (1 lb) Chantenay / baby carrots
- parsley, for garnishing [optional]
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 160°C / fan 140°C / 325°F / gas mark 3.
- Place the flour, salt and pepper in a large mixing bowl and stir.
- Toss the pieces of lamb heart in the seasoned flour until all surfaces are covered.
- Heat half of the oil in a large ovenproof casserole dish.
- Brown the dusted lamb hearts over a high heat, then transfer to a plate and set aside.
- Add the remaining oil to the pot and fry the onion over a medium heat for 5 minutes, until soft and translucent.
- Stir in the garlic and mushrooms and saute for another 3 minutes.
- Turn up the heat, then pour in the wine. Let it bubble for 5 minutes and don’t forget to stir well so that the pot is properly deglazed.
- Add the stock, tomato paste, bay leaves, thyme, potatoes and carrots.
- Give everything a good stir then transfer the casserole to the oven and cook for 2 hours, or until the lamb is tender.
- Serve immediately with crusty bread on the side. Enjoy!
Notes
- In this recipe, I used 4 lamb hearts.
- If you can’t get hold of fresh thyme you can use 2g (1 tsp) dried thyme.
- In this recipe, you can use standard carrots. Just peel them and cut them into chunky batons.
- Keep the size of the potatoes quite big to prevent smaller pieces from going to mush during the long cooking time.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 2 hours 20 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Stew
- Cuisine: British
Nutrition
- Serving Size:
- Calories: 759
- Sugar: 11.6 g
- Sodium: 1644.5 mg
- Fat: 44.9 g
- Saturated Fat: 22.8 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 48.1 g
- Fiber: 8.3 g
- Protein: 31.8 g
- Cholesterol: 109.5 mg
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