Take Your Leftover Lamb Roast And Use It As The Perfect Stock For A Hearty Stew

When feeding a hungry crowd, roasted lamb (which is different from mutton) makes for a savory, show-stopping, flavor-forward entree. Whether you prefer a leg, shoulder, or rack, lamb roasts flaunt a juicy, umami-blasted interior with a smoldering, delicately charred exterior. The only downside is that they're often quickly devoured, but if you act resourcefully, they're really a gift that keeps on giving. After everyone's dug in, it may seem like little is left of your delicious roast, but its remaining bones can be transformed into a rich, deeply-flavored stock.

Stock, of course, is the flavorful cooking liquid made by simmering bones, and sometimes aromatics and vegetables, in water for several hours. As they cook, they will release gelatin and collagen, which infuse the liquid with a rich, savory depth of flavor and a silky mouthfeel. This elegantly flavored elixir dripping in collagen doubles as a foundation for hearty soups and stews. What makes leftover roast lamb such a high-quality choice for a stock is that the bones carry the smoky, caramelized richness imparted during the cooking process, adding a robust yet comforting complexity to your favorite stew recipes. Lamb stock, despite having a taste distinct from poultry and cattle stocks, boats an umami-blasted earthy flavor that pairs well with just about any stew provision you can dream up.

Making stock from leftover lamb roast doesn't require Michelin-star skills. If you've perfected the dish, you'll have no trouble transforming the leftovers into a flavorful broth. However, keeping a few tips in mind will ensure a sip-worthy stock that transforms your go-to stew.

Before you start slow-simmering, you'll want to prep the bones by blanching them for around 20 minutes to remove impurities, which yields a clearer, cleaner end product (just make sure to rinse them off after). Although it's not necessary, you can roast these bare, blanched bones a second time to deepen their browning and boost their savory, caramelized flavor. Use a pot large enough to fully accommodate the bones, adding just enough water to barely cover them. For an extra dimension of flavor, you can introduce veggies like carrots, celery, and onions during the last hour of cooking for delicate, vegetal-infused nuances that contrast the overt meatiness of the bones. Expect to spend around six hours simmering with the pot loosely covered to allow steam to escape, occasionally skimming off fat that may rise to the top. Of course, make sure to strain out any lingering bits of lamb before using the stock in your recipes.

Whether it's a hearty and satisfying beef stew (which is deceptively easy to mess up), a pot of potato and poultry, or a stew studded with legumes and garden-fresh veggies, leftover lamb roast stock is the soul of the dish, infusing each spoonful with a richness that makes any spoonable dish an unforgettable experience. Your tastebuds (and dinner guests) will thank you.