How to make
Pour olive oil in a deep and thick pot and add salt, garlic cloves (crushed) and the onion, cut into crescents to stew on a medium heat.
Add the lamb neck, along with the bones, cut into round pieces and leave it to seal in the fat, until it aquires a golden color. Add the carrots, cut into large pieces, bay leaf, black peppercorns and thyme.
Pour water, which goes at least one finger over the products, cover the pot and let it simmer on the stove for about 2 hours. If foam has formed, remove it with a slotted spoon.
If necessary, more hot water can be added during cooking. At the end of cooking, add peas and green beans, cut into small pieces. Leave it to boil for another 10/15 minutes. Remove it from the heat.
Mint sauce: Finely chop the mint along with the salt and sugar. Vinegar is added.
The stew is served with a spoonful of mint sauce.
Note: The important thing in this stew is to tenderize the meat, but also to cook it with the bones, so that they release their juices in the broth and then after boiling to debone the meat.
I also added a potato, cut into small cubes, but this is optional. I used canned peas and frozen yellow beans.
Usually, mint could be replaced with chopped parsley, but it adds a very pleasant aroma and taste to the stew.
The interesting thing about this so-called Dutch stew is that it is quite liquid unlike our other stews and that is why I served it in a deep plate.
The Dutch Spring Stew with Lamb Neck is ready.
