Stufato d'Agnello al Montefalco Rosso, servito con fagioli cannellini (cotti al forno)
Montefalco Rosso Lamb Stew served with baked Canellini beans
This is an excellent winter meal to cozy up to. Lamb is slowly stewed in rich Montefalco Rosso wine, with porcini mushrooms, fennel, and sage.
We paired it with a 2003 Sagrantino di Montefalco, from the Goretti Winery and enjoyed every sip and bite. Can you say comfort dinner?
Plan ahead, this recipe requires overnight soaking time for the beans.
Use any Montefalco Rosso wine, even a less pricy one will do.
We have translated the main ingredient into Italian for those who are curious or living in Italy.
Ingredients for 4 people:
Stew
- 4 lamb shanks Stinco d’agnello
- 1 bottle of Montefalco Rosso wine vino
- 1 cup dried Porcini mushrooms funghi
- 2 small yellow onions, diced (in Umbria use cippola di Cannara) cippole
- 1 fennel bulb, diced finocchio
- 2 carrots, peeled and diced carrote
- 2 cups diced tomatoes pomodori
- 4 cups of beef broth brodo di carne
- 6 sage leaves, sliced salvia
- 1 head of garlic, sliced in half aglio
- 1 cup of flour farina
- 4 tablespoons of olive oil (Umbrian from Spello or Trevi) olio d’ oliva Umbro
- ground pepper and Sicilian sea salt pepe e sale
Beans
- 1 cup cannellini beans fagioli
- ¼ cup olive oil (Umbrian from Spello or Trevi) olio d’ oliva Umbro
- 2 cloves of garlic, sliced in half aglio
- 1 yellow onion, sliced (in Umbria use cippola di Cannara) cippola
- 3 cups of vegetable broth brodo vegetale
- 1 bay leaf alloro
- 1 tablespoon chopped rosemary rosmarino
- ground pepper and Sicilian sea salt pepe e sale
Start beans
Soak the beans for at least 8 hours.
Drain beans from remaining water.
Preheat oven to 325° F (160°C)
In a heavy ovenproof casserole heat oil, over medium heat and sauté garlic and onions until translucent.
Add beans and rosemary, stir.
Add broth and bay leaf, stir
Season with salt and pepper
Bake for about 1 hour until beans are tender, but not splitting
Remove from oven, cover and set aside in a warm place
Start Stew
Soak the mushrooms in warm water for 20 minutes
Drain through a cheesecloth to remove the grit
Reserve drained liquid
Chop mushrooms and set aside
Preheat oven 375° F (190° C)
In a shallow bowl mix flour, salt and pepper
In a large flameproof casserole, heat 2 tablespoons of oil over medium heat
Coat lamb shanks with flour mixture
Brown on all sides in the oil
With tongs, transfer lamb to a bowl
Add 2 tablespoons of oil to the casserole
Add onions, carrots, and fennel, sauté for 5 minutes over medium heat
Return lamb to the casserole, adding mushrooms and tomatoes
Sauté for another 5 minutes
Add wine and simmer uncovered for 10 minutes
Add broth, mushroom liquid and sage
Cover and bake in oven for 2-3 hours, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking to sides
Return beans to oven and reheat for about 20 minutes
Open a bottle of Sagrantino and allow to breath in a warm place
Remove lamb shanks to a bowl, cover and keep warm
Place casserole over medium heat, cook until liquid is reduced to 2 cups
Add salt or pepper to taste, by adding salt you will reduce any sourness
Remove beans from oven
Serve
In large shallow bowls, place a large spoonful of beans, place a lamb shank on top, spoon wine sauce and vegetables over lamb. Place a couple of sage leaves on the side and serve.
Pour Sagrantino in large, balloon wine glasses, sip to taste.
Buon appetito!
