Braised Lamb with Shitake Mushrooms and Ginger

Recently I bought a Cooking Light magazine and decided to try a few of the recipes. The was my first attempt. I wasn't sure how it would turn out at first, but it was quite good-and Jake loved it, which always makes things a plus in my book. Quite runny at first, it was turning out more like a soup than a stew until I whisked in some more cornstarch and chicken broth, and it thickened up nicely.

You may want to try beef broth with this. The combination of lamb and chicken broth tasted good, but it didn't have the depth of flavor I was looking for.

Recipe adapted from Cooking Light Soups and Stews

1 lb of lamb stew meat
2 tbsp cornstarch
1 tbsp low sodium soy sauce
1 tbsp dry sherry
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
1/2 cup boiling water
6 dried shitake mushrooms
1 tbsp vegetable oil
2 tbsp minced peeled fresh ginger
3 garlic cloves, minced
3 cups low sodium chicken broth
1 1/3 cup sliced carrot
2 tbsp oyster sauce
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
4 cups hot cooked rice noodles (we used Jasmine rice)

Combine the lamb meat, cornstarch, soy sauce, sherry, and pepper in a bowl. Mix well and allow to stand.

In a different bowl, pour the 1/2 cup boiling water over the dried mushrooms. Allow them to stand 15 minutes, then remove from the bowl, reserving the liquid. Discard the stems of the mushrooms and thinly slice the caps. Set aside.

Over medium heat, heat the oil in a non stick skillet and add the lamb mixture. Saute for about 4 minutes. Stir in the broth and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce the heat to medium low, and simmer for about 40 minutes until the lamb is tender. Uncover and bring to a boil; add the carrots, sliced oyster mushrooms, and the reserved mushroom liquid.

At this point the recipe said to cook until it thickens slightly, but mine never thickened. So to remedy this, I whisked 1 tbsp of cornstarch into 3 tbsp cold chicken broth, and then added the mixture to the pot.

Stir in the oyster sauce and chopped cilantro. Garnish with additional fresh cilantro and chopped cashews, if you like-along with some fluffy white rice or rice noodles in the bowl.

Serves 4