The recipe for caldereta de cordero (lamb stew) is a traditional stew from Extremadura and Castile and León with a powerful flavour and a great presence at the table. This delicious stew can be a perfect dish for any festive day to surprise your guests with tradition and gastronomic culture in abundance.
All you need is a little patience, as with all traditional stews. You must also have a good PGI lamb. Whether it is Lechazo from Castile and León, Ternasco from Aragón, Manchego, Segureño, Navarre or Extremadura lamb, all of which are of exceptional quality.
Caldereta de cordero, lamb stew. | Shutterstock
Ingredients for the caldereta de cordero (or lamb stew):
- 1 kg of lamb meat in chunks
- 4 medium potatoes
- 4 cloves of garlic
- 1 red pepper
- 1 green pepper
- 2 carrots
- 1 onion
- 200 g of crushed tomato
- 250 ml of white wine
- 1 sprig of thyme
- 1 sprig of rosemary
- ½ teaspoon of ground cumin
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 chilli
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- Extra virgin olive oil
- Water, salt and pepper
For the majado
- 2 slices of bread
- 1 handful of almonds
- 4 chicken livers
- 1 choricero pepper
- 1 chilli pepper
How to make the caldereta de cordero (or lamb stew):
- To begin with the preparation of the caldereta de cordero, first prepare the majado. Add a good splash of oil to a large casserole dish. Add the slices of bread and the almonds. Fry until golden brown, remove and set aside. Add the garlic, the choricero pepper and the chicken livers. Fry everything very well and remove when ready.
- Put all the ingredients in a blender with a little water to make it easier to blend. Make it as smooth as possible and set aside.
- In the same pan, add a little more oil if necessary. Once hot over medium-high heat, add the lamb and fry it well all over. When it is well browned, add all the chopped vegetables (peppers, onion, carrots and the crushed tomato). Leave to fry with the lamb for at least 20 minutes.
- Then add the paprika just a few seconds before pouring the wine into the pan and enough water to cover the meat. Add the chilli, thyme, rosemary, bay leaf and cumin to give an intense and delicious flavour to the stew.
- Lower the heat to medium and finally add the majado prepared at the beginning. Add a little salt and pepper, not too much, and leave to cook slowly for at least 2 hours. 20 minutes before the end of the cooking time, add the potatoes, cut into bite-sized pieces.
- When the time has passed, taste and adjust the salt if necessary. All that remains is to enjoy the result. A hearty dish full of traditional flavours that will please everyone.
