Serves 3 as a meal, or 12 appetizer portions

When making for puff pastries, make sure to chop / dice your ingredients to a smaller scale, about 1/2 inch.

Ingredients:

• 1 lb lamb in small stew pieces (fry with paper towels to make sure there’s no excess moisture)
• 1 large red onion, chopped fine
• 5 cloves of garlic, smashed
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 2 tsp kosher salt
• 5 small carrots, chopped
• 5 small Yukon gold or red potatoes, scrubbed and diced
• 4 sprigs rosemary, chopped
• 2 sprigs fresh thyme, chopped
• 1 cup dark red wine plus more to taste
• 2 cups chicken or beef stock
• 1/4 cup cider or white balsamic vinegar
• 2 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• The most dynamic blend of peppercorns you have, to taste
• 1/2 recipe gluten-free puff pastry

Directions

Preheat oven to 300°.

In a medium oven-friendly, heavy-bottomed pot (my Le Creuset 5 1/2 quart dutch oven is a kitchen VIP), heat oil over medium heat.  Add onions and garlic, and saute until soft, about 6 minutes. 

Meanwhile, sprinkle both sides of meat with salt and pepper.  Add to pot, and brown on each side.  Turn heat to high, and add the rest of the ingredients.  Bring to a boil, then put into oven. 

Cook until the meat is tender and the vegetables are soft, 1-2 hours as desired (you can keep the stew in the oven and it will continue to cook slowly, tenderizing the meat even more). 

The stew tastes better the second day, when you can bring it up to heat and adjust flavors as desired.