The classic French spring stew — chops braised until tender, then baby vegetables added late so they stay bright

Navarin is spring on a plate, the dish French cooks make when the first young vegetables arrive. It's peasant cooking with a light touch — chops browned and braised in a glossy tomato-flecked broth until yielding, then baby carrots, turnips and peas dropped in near the end so they keep their colour and bite. Nothing here is difficult, but the sequence matters, and that's what makes it feel like a proper project. Serve it in shallow bowls with bread for the broth. It's the sort of dinner that turns an ordinary night into an occasion.

1 hr 45 mins 4 servings Prep 25 minsCook 1 hr 20 minsMain CourseFrench

Ingredients

  • 4 Your Farmer grass-fed lamb chump chops
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • Salt and pepper to season
  • 1 tbsp plain flour
  • 1 onion, finely chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic, sliced
  • 1 tbsp tomato paste
  • 150ml dry white wine
  • 500ml chicken stock
  • 2 sprigs thyme
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1 tsp caster sugar
  • 1 bunch baby carrots, trimmed
  • 2 baby turnips, quartered
  • 8 baby new potatoes, halved
  • 150g frozen peas
  • Small handful flat-leaf parsley, chopped

Instructions

For the braise

Season the chops and pat them dry. Heat the oil in a wide, heavy casserole over medium-high heat and brown them well, 3 minutes per side. Set aside.

4 chump chops2 tbsp olive oil

Lower the heat, add the onion and cook 5 minutes until soft. Stir in the garlic, tomato paste and flour and cook 2 minutes, until the paste darkens.

1 onion1 tbsp tomato paste1 tbsp plain flour

Pour in the wine and let it bubble hard for 2 minutes, scraping up the browned bits. Add the stock, thyme, bay leaf and sugar, and stir until smooth.

150ml dry white wine500ml chicken stock1 tsp caster sugar

Return the chops and their juices, cover, and simmer very gently — or in a 160°C oven — for 45 minutes, turning once, until the lamb is tender.

2 sprigs thyme1 bay leaf

For the spring vegetables

Add the potatoes, carrots and turnips to the pot, tucking them into the broth. Cover and simmer 20 minutes, until the vegetables are just tender.

8 baby potatoes1 bunch baby carrots2 baby turnips

Stir in the peas and simmer uncovered for a final 5 minutes to warm them through and let the broth thicken slightly. Discard the bay and thyme stalks, and season to taste.

150g frozen peas

Scatter with parsley and serve in shallow bowls with bread to mop up the broth.

parsley

Appears in

Lamb Share B only — Chump Chops (4 pack)

Your Farmer CSA grass-fed lamb share — Pack B selection of pasture-raised lamb cuts, vacuum-sealed, NSW & ACT delivery
CSA Pastured Lamb Share
From $183.33

What Navarin Is, and Why Chump Suits It

A navarin is a French lamb stew, and a navarin printanier is its springtime version, made when the first baby vegetables come in. Traditionally it uses shoulder or neck, but chump chops are a clever shortcut: the chump is the meaty rump end of the loin, tender enough to come good in about an hour rather than the long haul a tougher cut demands, yet with enough fat and connective tissue to give the broth real body. The method is all about timing. The chops braise first, alone, so they can reach yielding tenderness; the vegetables go in late, in size order, so they finish just-tender and vivid rather than grey and collapsing. That restraint is the whole point of the dish. Your Farmer® chump chops arrive four to a pack in Share B of our lamb subscription — and lamb this good deserves a recipe that lets it lead.

Swaps and Variations

Use whatever the season sends: baby leeks, green beans, broad beans and asparagus tips all belong here, added in the last 5–10 minutes so they stay bright. Out of season, larger carrots and turnips cut small work fine. Forequarter chops make an even more traditional navarin — braise them 30 minutes longer before the vegetables go in. A handful of whatever's in the eco-grown produce box will usually find a home in the pot.

Storage and Leftovers

The stew keeps 3 days in the fridge and, like most braises, the lamb and broth are better on day two. Reheat gently, covered, and stir any leftover peas in fresh if you want them green rather than khaki. It freezes for 3 months — though the potatoes go a touch grainy, so some cooks leave them out of the batch destined for the freezer. Any leftover meat pulled from the bone makes a lovely quick pasta sauce, loosened with a little of the broth. If the four-pack disappears fast, a standalone chump chop four-pack keeps navarin on the menu between boxes.

Frequently asked questions

What makes a navarin different from a regular lamb stew?

A navarin is specifically French, lightly thickened with flour and tomato, and a navarin printanier features young spring vegetables added late so they stay bright. It's fresher and more delicate than a heavy winter stew.

Can I make this the day before?

Yes, and it's arguably better for it — braise the lamb and cook the root vegetables a day ahead, then reheat gently and add the peas fresh just before serving so they keep their colour.

My broth is too thin — how do I thicken it?

Lift out the chops and vegetables, then simmer the broth uncovered for a few minutes to reduce. If it's still thin, mash a teaspoon of soft butter with a teaspoon of flour and whisk it in, cooking for two more minutes.

Do I have to use wine?

No — replace it with the same amount of extra stock and add a teaspoon of white wine vinegar or a squeeze of lemon at the end for the acidity the wine would have brought.

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