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    Where Is My Spoon > Recipes > Romanian > Romanian Mains

    Romanian Lamb Stew – Tocanita de miel

    Published by: Adina April 10, 2020 · Last modified: September 6, 2024 9 Comments
    Jump to Recipe
    pinterest image with title the best lamb stew.

     Try this Romanian lamb stew or tocanita de miel. The incredibly tender lamb pieces are stewed in an aromatic sauce.

    Romanian Lamb Stew

    This Romanian lamb stew is one of the best dishes I've ever had. It's so good that you'll keep making it again and again.

    How about making a lamb stew this Easter? This lamb stew, or tocainide de miel, is the perfect dish for anybody who likes lamb. The meat is tender and delicate, not as lamby as when you roast a whole leg or shoulder of lamb. Make Lamb and Potato Stew or Lamb and Rice, next.

    Jump to recipe
    • What is Romanian tocana or tocanita?
    • Recipe ingredients
    • How to serve any Romanian stew?
    • Store and reheat
    • More Romanian stews
    • Recipe
    • Romanian Lamb Stew – Tocanita de miel

    What is Romanian tocana or tocanita?

    Tocanita is simply the diminutive form of tocana, making them the same dish, one of the most popular dishes in Romania. You can make tocana with any meat or vegetables, and there are also vegetarian and vegan versions, often enjoyed in summer or during fasting before Easter and Christmas. For instance, eggplant stew with tomatoes, stewed cabbage, or leek and olive stew – they really are some of my favorite vegan stews.

    Or the always present tocana de cartofi – potato sausage stew, which I probably ate at least every two weeks when growing up. It was cheap, filling, and super delicious. It's a recipe that any child would love.

    Recipe ingredients

    labeled ingredients for making romanian lamb stew with pepper, white wine, tomatoes, onions, parsley, and spices.

    Lamb: I always make this stew with cubed meat from the leg. I normally don't manage to find a boneless leg, but I ask the butcher to remove the bone. Of course, you could do it yourself, but the butcher always makes it better.

    • Don't leave the bone behind. Instead, take it with you and make lamb stock, or freeze it to make stock later.

    Wine: You will need a small amount of white wine for this Romanian stew. Red wine would also work if you have an open bottle sitting there. You can also cook the stew without any wine, but I like to use it; it adds flavor.

    Vegetables: Onions, red bell pepper, and tomatoes.

    Spices: Very good quality sweet paprika powder (the Amazon affiliate link opens in a new tab). When it comes to paprika powder, I always advise buying the best quality you can get; cheap paprika only tastes of dust. And the good paprika powder is not that expensive either; it is really worth buying.

    Romanian Lamb Stew

    How to serve any Romanian stew?

    You can serve tocana with bread; the traditional Romanian fluffy white bread is perfect for mopping up the sauce from any Romanian stew. But any other kind of bread would be fine as well.

    Mamaliga or polenta are also perfect with many stews (not potato stew). Try polenta with pork stew, meatball stew with sauerkraut, or any vegetable stew.

    Mashed potatoes can be served with any meat stew and many veggie stews. Try the garlic Parmesan mashed potatoes or the rosemary potato mash.

    And don't forget the pickled vegetables, like green tomato pickles; pickles are the best match for tocana. Or a nice white cabbage salad.

    Store and reheat

    Like any stew, this Romanian lamb stew tastes even better if you make it one day in advance. Letting it sit allows the flavors to blend, making it richer and more delicious when reheated.

    Reheat it on the stovetop, occasionally stirring. Reheat leftovers in the microwave.

    You can freeze the lamb stew in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Defrost in the fridge and reheat it well before serving.

    Romanian Lamb Stew

    More Romanian stews

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      Romanian Pea and Chicken Stew
    • creamy polenta chicken in a square vintage serving dish with silver spoon and fork on the side.
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    • close up of a red dutch oven with rabbit stew sprinkled with parsley.
      Rabbit Stew
    • a plate with tochitura or moldavian sausage stew with a fried egg on top.
      Romanian Tochitura Recipe

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    Please leave a good rating in the recipe card below. Stay in touch through social media: Pinterest, Facebook, and Instagram. Don’t forget to tag #whereismyspoon when you try a recipe!

    Recipe

    romanian lamb stew in a vintage deep plate, sprinkled with parsley.

    Romanian Lamb Stew – Tocanita de miel

    Romanian lamb stew or tocanita de miel - incredibly tender lamb pieces stewed in an aromatic sauce.
    4.84 from 6 votes
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    Course: Stews
    Cuisine: Romanian
    Prep Time: 20 minutes minutes
    Cook Time: 1 hour hour 30 minutes minutes
    Total Time: 1 hour hour 50 minutes minutes
    Servings: 4 servings
    Calories: 680kcal
    Author: Adina
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    Ingredients 

    • 2 lbs lamb meat from the leg, 900 g
    • 1 tablespoon olive oil
    • 2 medium onions
    • 1 large red bell pepper
    • ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
    • ½ cup white wine 125 ml
    • 7 oz tomatoes 200 g
    • 1 teaspoon sweet paprika powder
    • 1 teaspoon tomato paste
    • fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
    • a small bunch of parsley

    Instructions

    • Sear lamb: Chop the meat into small cubes. Pat dry with kitchen paper. Heat the oil in a Dutch oven or cast iron pot and fry the meat in two or three batches until nicely browned. Transfer each batch to a bowl or plate.
      2 lbs lamb meat/ 900 g + 1 tablespoon olive oil
    • Cook onions and peppers: In the meantime, chop the onions very finely and the bell pepper into small and thin strips. After removing the meat, place the onions and the pepper in the pot, add the salt, mix well, and cook on medium heat for about 10 minutes or until softened.
      2 medium onions + 1 large red bell pepper
    • Simmer lamb stew: Return the lamb pieces to the pot, add wine, finely chopped tomatoes, paprika powder, tomato paste, salt, and pepper. Mix well, cover tightly, and cook for one hour.
      ½ cup white wine/ 125 ml + 7 oz tomatoes/ 200 g + 1 teaspoon sweet paprika powder + 1 teaspoon tomato paste + ½ teaspoon fine sea salt + black pepper
    • Check every 15-20 minutes and stir well. Add a bit more water if the stew threatens to catch. However, if you have a tight lid for your pot, that should not be necessary; it wasn't in my case.
    • Adjust taste: Add about half of the chopped parsley, adjust the taste with salt and pepper, and simmer for another 5 minutes. The meat should be really, really tender.
      fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper + a small bunch of parsley

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1g | Calories: 680kcal | Carbohydrates: 10g | Protein: 51g | Fat: 46g | Saturated Fat: 18g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 24g | Cholesterol: 194mg | Sodium: 416mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 5g
    Tried this Recipe? Pin it for Later!Mention @adinabeck or tag #WhereIsMySpoon!

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. JoLee says

      February 02, 2023 at 2:51 pm

      5 stars
      This was an amazing lamb stew, thanks for recipe!

      Reply
    2. Karen (Back Road Journal) says

      April 15, 2020 at 4:04 pm

      I am one of the people who does like lamb and your stew looks delicious.

      Reply
    3. Anna says

      March 14, 2018 at 12:08 pm

      What is the one half cup of white? Did you mean to say white wine? Thanks I am looking forward to making the recipe

      Reply
      • Adina says

        March 14, 2018 at 1:20 pm

        Hi Anna. Yes, it is wine.

        Reply
    4. Adina says

      April 13, 2017 at 8:37 am

      Great, MJ. Let me know if you liked it.

      Reply
    5. mjskitchen says

      April 12, 2017 at 4:23 am

      This looks fantastic Adina! I'm going to be making this. Bobby and I eat more lamb than beef so I'm always looking for new ideas. Love this! Thanks for sharing.

      Reply
    6. Maha Khan says

      April 10, 2017 at 4:47 pm

      Love your recipe.
      It's looking very tasty.
      I will make this at home....

      Reply
    7. Anu - My Ginger Garlic Kitchen says

      April 07, 2017 at 6:49 pm

      This stew looks so flavorful, tender and delicious, Adina.

      Reply
    8. Angie@Angie's Recipes says

      April 06, 2017 at 11:25 am

      This looks so tender and good that I wish I ate lamb!

      Reply
    4.84 from 6 votes (5 ratings without comment)

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