Pierre Koffmann’s lamb stew with ultimate mash

Name: Pierre Koffmann’s lamb stew with ultimate mash
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: PT35-40M
Total time: 1 h 5 min
Yield: Serves 6 as part of a menu
Cuisine: French recipes
Ingredients: 800g boneless British lamb neck, cut into large chunks; 2 tbsp vegetable oil; 200g onions, roughly chopped into 1cm cubes; 200g carrots, roughly chopped into 1cm cubes; 8 tbsp plain flour; 2 heaped tbsp tomato purée; 4 garlic cloves, peeled; 1 bouquet garni (see Know How); Handful flatleaf parsley, finely chopped, to garnish (optional); Steamed veg to serve (optional); For the ultimate mash (purée de pommes de terre); 800g floury potatoes, such as yukon gold or russet, peeled and cut into 8-10cm chunks; 25g salt; 200g unsalted butter; 100ml whipping/double cream; For the garnish; 50g unsalted butter; 200g onions, finely diced; 200g carrots, finely diced; You’ll also need; Large hob-safe casserole; Potato ricer or masher

By: Pierre Koffmann

Published: 27 Sep 21
Updated: 25 Mar 24

Test kitchen approved

Legendary chef Pierre Koffmann shares his recipe for melt-in-your-mouth lamb stew with his famous pomme purée, AKA the ultimate mashed potatoes.

Make a meal of it: serve Pierre Koffmann’s scallops with squid ink sauce as a starter.

Want to cook like a pro? Pierre Koffmann’s Classic French Cooking BBC Maestro course is available from 1 September 2021. All online courses cost £80 each. Find out more here

Serves 6 as part of a menu
Hands-on time 30 min

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Ingredients

800g boneless British lamb neck, cut into large chunks
2 tbsp vegetable oil
200g onions, roughly chopped into 1cm cubes
200g carrots, roughly chopped into 1cm cubes
8 tbsp plain flour
2 heaped tbsp tomato purée
4 garlic cloves, peeled
1 bouquet garni (see Know How)
Handful flatleaf parsley, finely chopped, to garnish (optional)
Steamed veg to serve (optional)

For the ultimate mash (purée de pommes de terre)

800g floury potatoes, such as yukon gold or russet, peeled and cut into 8-10cm chunks
25g salt
200g unsalted butter
100ml whipping/double cream

For the garnish

50g unsalted butter
200g onions, finely diced
200g carrots, finely diced

You’ll also need

Large hob-safe casserole
Potato ricer or masher

Method

For the lamb stew, heat the oven to 180°C fan/gas 6. Dry the lamb with kitchen paper, then season well with salt.
Heat a large, heavy-based casserole over a medium heat. Add the oil and, once starting to sizzle, add the meat. Cook evenly and keep turning until it’s brown all over. You may need to do this in 2 batches so you don’t overcrowd the pan. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside
Add the onions and carrots to the casserole, reduce the heat to low-medium and cook until golden, stirring occasionally. Return the browned lamb to the pot along with any juices, the flour, tomato purée, plenty of ground black pepper and a little more salt. Stir to combine, then cover with cold water. Bring to the boil, then add the garlic and bouquet garni. Cover and transfer to the oven for 35-40 minutes until the meat is very tender.
For the garnish, melt the butter in a pan over a medium heat. Add the onions and carrots, then fry the vegetables until just tender but still with a slight bite – about 10 minutes (the cubes should retain their shape).
Meanwhile, put the cut potatoes in a large pan and cover with 1 litre cold water. Add the salt, then slowly bring to the boil. Simmer until tender – about 25 minutes (see Pierre’s tips).
Drain the potatoes in a colander, cover with a clean tea towel, then set aside to steam for a few minutes. While still hot, pass the potatoes and butter through a potato ricer or, if you don’t have one, return to the pan and mash until smooth.
Pour the cream into a small pan and gently warm. Put the pan of mash back over a medium heat and cook for 4-5 minutes, stirring, to further dry out the potato. Add the warm cream, a little at a time, beating between additions. Taste and adjust the seasoning and keep warm..
When the stew is ready, scatter the garnish on top or stir it through. Return the stew to the oven for a further 10 minutes. Remove the bouquet garni and season to taste.
Serve the lamb scattered with chopped parsley, mash and, if you like, steamed greens.

Recipe from September 2021 Issue

Nutrition

Nutrition: per serving

Calories: 929kcals
Fat: 64g (34.9g saturated)
Protein: 32.4g
Carbohydrates: 51.9g (11.3g sugars)
Fibre: 8g
Salt: 1.1g

delicious. tips

Pierre’s tips: Brown the meat all over quickly and evenly. Always season the meat first.

Adding salt to the water helps prevent the potatoes breaking up during cooking.

It’s important to cook the potatoes slowly, in as little water as possible, so they don’t become too wet. After draining, letting them steam off a little avoids the purée being watery.

Add cold cubes of butter for the silkiest results when mashing potatoes. Room temperature butter melts too fast and distributes unevenly

Learn how to thicken sauces with a beurre manie below…
Make the lamb to the end of step 3, then cover and chill for up to 2 days.
Bouquet garni is a classic French herb mix and includes parsley stalks, thyme sprigs and bay leaves, tied with kitchen string.

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Pierre Koffmann’s lamb stew with ultimate mash

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