Ornabra

Ingredients

• 8 medium carrots, peeled
• 3.5 pounds boneless lamb shoulder roast (see Cook's Note), trimmed of excess fat and cut into 1½-inch chunks
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• About 1.5 tablespoons neutral oil
• 2 large onions, chopped
• 3 bay leaves
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh rosemary or thyme, or a combination
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
• 2 pounds Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and cut into ¾-inch pieces
• 1 teaspoon cider vinegar
• ½ cup chopped fresh parsley

Instructions

1. With a rack in the lower-middle position, preheat the oven to 325°F.
2. Finely chop two of the carrots and set aside. Cut the remaining six carrots into 1-inch chunks and set aside separately.
3. In a medium bowl, toss the lamb with 1½ teaspoons salt, 1 teaspoon pepper, and the flour to coat.
4. In a large, ovenproof sauté pan or Dutch oven over medium-high heat, warm 2 teaspoons of the neutral oil until shimmering. Add a third of the lamb (the pieces should be close together in a single layer, but not touching; do not crowd the pan) and cook, undisturbed, until deeply browned on the bottom, about 3½ minutes. Flip the pieces and cook, undisturbed, until the second side is deeply browned, about 3½ minutes longer. Transfer the lamb to a large bowl. Repeat to brown the remaining lamb in another one or two batches (warming more neutral oil for each batch and adjusting the heat as necessary to avoid scorching).
5. Spoon off all but 1 tablespoon of fat. Set the pan over medium heat, add the finely chopped carrots, onions, bay leaves, rosemary, and ½ teaspoon salt and cook, occasionally stirring and scraping the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon to loosen any caramelized bits, until the vegetables are softened and lightly browned, about 10 minutes. Make a small clearing in the center, add the tomato paste, and cook, stirring, until fragrant and a bit darker, about 1½ minutes. Add the chicken broth, adjust the heat to medium-high, and bring to a strong simmer, again scraping the bottom of the pot to loosen and dissolve any additional caramelized bits. Add the browned lamb with the accumulated juices and stir to combine, submerging the lamb as much as possible. Return to a strong simmer.
6. Cover the pan, transfer to the oven, and bake for 1½ hours. Add ½ teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon pepper, the carrot chunks, and potatoes, submerging them in the liquid as best you can. Replace the cover and continue to bake until the lamb and vegetables are very tender, 40 to 60 minutes longer. If the stew is more liquidy than you'd like, mash some of the potatoes against the side of the pot and stir them into the cooking liquid to thicken it.
7. Remove the bay leaves, add the vinegar, and stir to mix. Adjust the seasoning with additional salt and pepper, if necessary. Add most of the parsley and stir to combine. Serve immediately, sprinkling each portion with the remaining parsley.