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Arthurian Legend , Entrees , Lamb / May 8, 2025

Spiced Lamb Stew

BY Alison Wiebe

Revelio Recipe

This hearty and richly flavoured spiced lamb stew is inspired by Sir Lancelot of Arthurian legend—fit for a knight on the eve of battle!

spiced lamb stew, medieval stew recipes, medieval cooking recipes

A Journey Through Arthurian Legend

From the golden halls of Camelot, where courtly grace and chivalry reign, to the mist-veiled shores of Avalon, where magic lingers in the trees — this is a feast told in two parts.

We begin where stories often do: with kings and queens, knights and the noble heart of the realm. We will sample the delicate beauty of Guinevere’s table, the strength of Lancelot’s knightly fare, the warmth of Igraine’s hearth, and the legacy of King Arthur himself.

Then we journey onward — into the wild and the mystical. To Merlin the wanderer, Morgan le Fay, the Lady of the Lake… and finally to Avalon, the isle of healing and immortality.

Let this be your invitation — to dine in Camelot, and awaken in Avalon.

A Feast in Camelot: Lancelot

Of all the knights of the Round Table, none is more famous nor tragic than Sir Lancelot. One of Arthur’s greatest champions, he is torn between duty and love. Bound by honour to Arthur and by passion to Guinevere, Lancelot remains an enduring symbol of chivalry and valour in battle and the sorrow of forbidden love.

Infused with a blend of aromatic medieval spices and fragrant herbs, this hearty lamb stew filled with earthy vegetables is the perfect dish to fuel a heroic knight preparing for battle.

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Ingredients

Lamb: If you can’t source lamb stew meat already cut up, you can use either boneless lamb shoulder or leg. I like using lamb shoulder which has a lot of connective tissue and fat resulting in very tender meat. However, you will end up with a fair amount of trim due to the high fat content. Lamb leg can be used; however, it is leaner, which means there will be less fat to trim but also means it won’t be quite as tender as the shoulder.

Spices: This recipe uses a variety of spices that were commonly used in medieval cooking, such as cloves, mace, and cinnamon. These exotic spices were frequently traded and a common ingredient in savoury cooking.

Herbs: Fresh herbs were also a staple of medieval cooking and this recipe uses parsley, thyme, bay leaves, and fresh mint.

Turnips: Turnips were a very common vegetable in medieval English cooking. Add near the end of cooking so they don’t break down.

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How to Make Spiced Lamb Stew

Brown the lamb

Trim the lamb, removing any large pieces of fat. Trim off any silver skin and cut the meat into inch-sized chunks. Pat the meat dry.

Heat the olive oil in a dutch oven over medium high heat. Add a few pieces of lamb to the dutch oven being careful not to crowd the pan. Allow to sear until browned on one side. Flip the lamb and brown the other side. Remove the lamb to a plate and set aside. Repeat until all the lamb is browned, adding a bit more olive oil to the dutch oven if it looks dry.

Make the braising liquid

Once all the lamb is browned, turn the heat down to medium low. Add the diced onion and sauté for a couple of minutes until it begins to brown. Add the garlic and sauté for another minute. Add the kosher salt, ground mace, ground cloves, and pepper to the onions. Sauté for another minute until fragrant.

Turn the heat back up to medium high. Deglaze the pan with the red wine, scraping up any bits that have stuck to the bottom of the dutch oven. Return the browned lamb to the pot along with any accumulated juices.

Tie the parsley, thyme, and bay leaves together with twine to make a bouquet garni. Add to the Dutch oven along with the cinnamon stick. Top with the beef broth, adding more if needed so the lamb is just barely covered.

spiced lamb stew, medieval stew recipes, medieval cooking

Stew the lamb

Bring the liquid to a simmer and turn down to low. Skim off any foam and fat that comes to the top. Cover and cook the stew on a very low simmer for 1 1/2 to 2 hours or until very tender, skimming as needed.

Prepare the vegetables while the lamb is cooking. Peel the turnips and cut into small wedges. Peel and slice the carrots. When the lamb is tender, add the turnips and carrots. Cook for another 10 to 15 minutes until the vegetables are tender.

Serve the Spiced Lamb Stew

To thicken the stew, skim off any fat and bring to a boil. Taste and adjust the seasoning if needed. Mix the cornstarch with water to create a slurry. Add the slurry to the braising liquid and bring to a boil. Cook until the stew is thickened. Stir in the chopped parsley and chopped mint. Enjoy!

spiced lamb stew, medieval stew recipes, medieval cooking recipes, lamb stew with root vegetables

Spread the Enchantment

Spiced Lamb Stew

Servings 6 servings
Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Ingredients 

  • 3 – 3½ lb boneless lamb shoulder, or lamb leg
  • 2 tbsp olive oil, plus extra as needed
  • 2 large onions, diced
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 tsp kosher salt, plus extra as needed
  • ½ tsp ground mace
  • ¼ tsp ground cloves
  • ¼ tsp pepper
  • 1 cup red wine
  • 3 cups beef broth, plus extra as needed
  • 3 sprigs fresh parsley
  • 4 sprigs fresh thyme
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1 cinnamon stick
  • 2 – 3 turnips
  • 3 – 4 carrots
  • ¼ cup cornstarch
  • ⅓ cup water, or more beef broth
  • ¼ cup chopped fresh parsley
  • 2 tbsp chopped fresh mint, optional

Instructions 

  • Trim the lamb, removing any large pieces of fat. Trim off any silver skin and cut the meat into inch-sized chunks. Pat the meat dry.
  • Heat the olive oil in a Dutch oven over medium high heat. Add a few pieces of lamb to the Dutch oven being careful not to crowd the pan. Allow to sear until browned on one side. Flip the lamb and brown the other side. Remove the lamb to a plate and set aside. Repeat until all the lamb is browned, adding a bit more olive oil to the dutch oven if it looks dry.
  • Once all the lamb is browned, turn the heat down to medium low. Add the diced onion and sauté for a couple of minutes until it begins to brown. Add the garlic and sauté for another minute. Add the kosher salt, ground mace, ground cloves, and pepper to the onions. Sauté for another minute until fragrant.
  • Turn the heat back up to medium high. Deglaze the pan with the red wine, scraping up any bits that have stuck to the bottom of the Dutch oven. Return the browned lamb to the pot along with any accumulated juices.
  • Tie the parsley, thyme, and bay leaves together with twine to make a bouquet garni. Add to the Dutch oven along with the cinnamon stick. Top with the beef broth, adding more if needed so the lamb is just barely covered.
  • Bring the liquid to a simmer and turn down to low. Skim off any foam and fat that comes to the top. Cover and cook the stew on a very low simmer for 1 1/2 to 2 hours or until very tender, skimming as needed.
  • Prepare the vegetables while the lamb is cooking. Peel the turnips and cut into small wedges. Peel and slice the carrots. When the lamb is tender, add the turnips and carrots. Cook for another 10 to 15 minutes until the vegetables are tender.
  • To thicken the stew, skim off any fat and bring to a boil. Taste and adjust the seasoning if needed. Mix the cornstarch with water to create a slurry. Add the slurry to the braising liquid and bring to a boil. Cook until the stew is thickened. Stir in the chopped parsley and chopped mint. Enjoy!

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