Spring Stew with Lemon, Mint, & Glazed Carrots Recipe
This Spring Stew with Lemon, Mint, & Glazed Carrots is a vibrant and tender beef stew perfect for springtime. Made with younger beef chuck shoulder for tenderness and a less gamey flavor, it is simmered slowly with aromatic vegetables, white wine, and finished with fresh lemon zest, mint, and creamy richness. Served best with mashed potatoes or rice and complemented by spring vegetables like asparagus or peas, this stew balances hearty comfort with fresh, bright flavors.
- Prep Time: 25 minutes
- Cook Time: 2 hours 30 minutes
- Total Time: 2 hours 55 minutes
- Yield: 6 servings
- Category: Stew
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: American / European Fusion
Ingredients
Stew Meat and Seasoning
- 1 kg / 2 1/4 lbs stew meat, cut into 2-inch squares (preferably chuck shoulder)
- Salt & black pepper, to taste
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- 4 tsp all-purpose flour
Vegetables
- 1 large yellow onion, cut into eighths
- 2 large carrots, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
- 2 large celery stalks, cut into 1-inch pieces
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- Additional 2 carrots, peeled and cut into oblique shapes for glazing
Liquids and Flavorings
- 4 tsp olive oil, divided (3 tsp for browning and vegetables, 1 tsp for carrot glazing)
- ½ bottle dry white wine (about 375 ml), or whole bottle for more flavor
- 1.5 liters cold water
- ½ cup heavy cream
- Zest of one lemon
- ½ cup fresh mint, finely chopped
- Pinch of salt (for boiling glazed carrots)
Instructions
- Prepare Ingredients: Peel and cut all vegetables as directed, and set aside. Cut stew meat into 2-inch cubes. Season meat with salt, black pepper, and garlic powder. Toss well to coat.
- Flour the Meat: Sprinkle 2 tablespoons of flour over the seasoned meat and toss to coat evenly. Repeat with the remaining 2 tablespoons, ensuring all meat pieces are well coated.
- Brown the Meat: Heat 4 teaspoons of olive oil in a heavy-bottomed Dutch oven or rondeau pan over medium heat. Add meat in batches if needed, and brown on each side without moving too much for a good crust. Remove browned meat and set aside.
- Add Wine and Deglaze: Return all browned meat to the pot and pour in half (or the whole) bottle of dry white wine. Let the wine bubble vigorously and scrape the brown bits from the bottom with a spatula to incorporate flavor into the liquid.
- Add Cold Water and Bring to Boil: Pour 1.5 liters of cold water into the pot. Increase heat to return to a boil, then reduce to a low simmer.
- Sauté Vegetables: In a skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil over medium to medium-high heat. Add onion, 2 carrots, celery, and minced garlic. Cook until onion is just translucent and vegetables are lightly toasted.
- Combine and Simmer: Add the sautéed vegetables to the stew pot and stir. Cover pot partially (lid halfway on) and simmer gently for 2 hours, stirring every 15 minutes. Maintain liquid level so it covers about three-quarters of the meat by adding cold water if needed.
- Prepare Glazed Carrots: While stew simmers, bring 1 cup water to a boil in a small sauté pan with a pinch of salt. Add oblique-cut carrots and cook until just tender. Drain most water, leaving about 1 tablespoon. Return pan to heat, add 1 tablespoon olive oil, and reduce liquid until almost gone, stirring gently. Season with salt and pepper; set aside.
- Check Tenderness: After 2 hours, test meat tenderness. Continue simmering an additional 15-30 minutes if needed, stirring and adding water to maintain liquid level.
- Finish the Stew – Refined Option: Remove meat onto a clean platter. Strain stew juices through a medium-fine strainer into a clean pot, pressing vegetables to extract liquid and discarding them. Return meat and strained juices to the pot, add glazed carrots, heavy cream, lemon zest, and chopped mint. Stir gently and bring back to a simmer. Adjust seasoning with salt as needed.
- Finish the Stew – Rustic Option: Alternatively, add glazed carrots, heavy cream, lemon zest, and mint directly into the simmering stew without straining out the vegetables. Stir gently, simmer briefly to heat through, then adjust seasoning.
- Serve: Serve hot with mashed potatoes, brown, red, or black rice, and complement with grilled asparagus, fresh peas, or fava beans as preferred.
Notes
- For a less gamey and more tender beef stew, choose chuck shoulder meat preferably from a female cow.
- Browning the meat well is essential for deep, rich flavors in the stew.
- Use cold water to add to the stew to control temperature and cooking progression.
- Partially covering the stew during simmering prevents it from drying out while allowing some evaporation to concentrate flavors.
- Glazed carrots add a slightly sweet, tender contrast to the stew’s rich flavor.
- Straining the stew juices and discarding the stewing vegetables for a refined finish creates a smoother, cleaner stew broth.
- Adding lemon zest and fresh mint at the end brightens the flavor and adds fresh spring notes.
- Adjust salt carefully after finishing as flavors concentrate during simmering.
