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Home | A Family that Eats Together: Lamb Stew with Pumpkin Polenta

A Family that Eats Together: Lamb Stew with Pumpkin Polenta

Lamb Stew with Pumpkin PolentaMarin Mommies is happy to present this week's guest recipe from Nicole Cibellis, Marin mom and author of the blog A Family that Eats Together, where she shares meal plans and recipes that will please foodies and children alike. Nicole is also the creator of the new Little Froglet line of children's activewear.

Nicole's meal plan for this week includes sake and orange braised short ribs with egg noodles, chicken curry with cashews, roasted butternut squash soup, beef stir fry with snow peas, and this lamb stew with a creamy pumpkin polenta—just the thing for a cool October evening.

Servings: 6–8; prep time: 15 minutes; cooking time: 30 minutes, 1-1/2 hours if roasting the squash the same day

Ingredients

For the Lamb Stew:

  • 1 lb lamb loin, trimmed of fat and silver skin
  • Extra virgin olive oil
  • 3 tbsp all purpose flour
  • 1 cup pearl onions, frozen
  • 2 carrots, peeled and chopped
  • 1 turnip, peeled and chopped
  • 1 tbsp butter
  • 1 cup dry red wine
  • 4 cups chicken stock
  • 1 tsp rosemary

For the Pumpkin Polenta:

  • 1-1/2 cups chicken stock
  • 1-1/2 cups half and half
  • 1/2 tsp fresh grated nutmeg
  • 3/4 tsp salt
  • a pinch of ground pepper
  • 5 tbsp polenta
  • 5 tbsp semolina flour
  • 1 cup roasted butternut squash*
  • 1/2 cup parmesan cheese.

Directions

For the Lamb Stew:

  1. Season the lamb with salt and pepper. Dust with 2 tablespoons flour. Add lamb to a heavy dutch oven over high heat. Brown on all sides. Do not overcook. Remove from pan.
  2. Add 2 tablespoons oil, onion, carrots and turnips to the pan. Season with salt and pepper. Cook until well caramelized, about 10 minutes. Add butter and cook for 2 more minutes.
  3. Dust 1 tablespoon flour over ingredients in the pan and cook for 1 minute over medium high heat. Add wine and stock scraping up the bits. Reduce the liquid to 1/2. Add back the lamb and rosemary.
  4. Serve with pumpkin polenta.

For the Pumpkin Polenta:

Cook this while the stew is simmering.

  1. Combine stock and cream in heavy sauce pan. Add nutmeg, salt and pepper. Bring to a simmer. Whisk in polenta and semolina. Cook on very low until grains are very soft about 5 minutes. Whisk in butternut squash and cheese. Serve immediately.

For the roasted squash*:

  • 1 large butternut squash, peeled, de-seeded** and cubed
  • 1 stick of butter
  • 2 tbsp fresh sage, chopped
  • 2 tbsp sugar
  • 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
  • 1/4 cup dark unsulfured molasses

Directions for the roasted squash:

Preheat oven to 400º. Heat butter in a sauce pan over medium heat. When the butter ceases to foam and has turned light brown, pull pan off of heat and add: sage, sugar, vinegar and molasses. (Stand back—it can splatter.) Mix well and let simmer for 2 minutes.

On a tin foil lined pan, pour sauce over squash and mix thoroughly. Cook in oven for 1 hour or until soft.

When done, let cool and puree in a blender or with a hand mixer.

* Chefs note: This roasted squash puree can be used for many things. I like to make ravioli with it or even eat it alone.
** When peeling a butternut squash, it is easiest and best to use a serrated peeler. To cut the squash, use a sharp serrated knife.