September Recipe: Fårikål (Lamb and Cabbage Stew)

Fårikål is the national dish of Norway. It even has it's own feast day! Fårikålens Festdag is celebrated on the last Thursday in September; a time when the fattened sheep would come down from the mountain pastures to winter at the farmstead. Since Wild Type Ranch is located in the Troll Capital of the World (Mt Horeb, WI), in an area rich in Norwegian heritage, it seemed fitting to launch a new monthly blog feature with a Norwegian dish. Just in time for its official feast day, September 25!

Photo credit: Scandinavian Cookbook Blog

Even though I have a Norwegian immigrant grandfather and a full-Norwegian sister-in-law, I'd never heard of this dish until one of our customers asked about which lamb cuts to use for it. A little research and the answer is; I recommend a combination of stew lamb and shanks (a total of 3 lbs).

The recipe is pretty simple; layers of lamb and cabbage with black peppercorns and salt, maybe a bit fo flour for thickening. Simmer for 2-3 hours and serve with boiled potatoes tossed with parsley and butter. Cabbage is just now showing up at the farmers markets in our area, and the weather is giving us a few crisp, cool days. It's a perfect time to try this dish.

Here's my version of the recipe, which I found at a cool Scandinavian cooking blog:

• 3 lb lamb, including bones, cut into pieces (I use stew cubes and shanks)

• 1 head of green cabbage

• 5 tsp whole peppercorns

• 3 tsp salt

• 1 1/2 cups water (or better yet, use broth made from our lamb bones)

• 4-5 Tbsp flour (optional)

Slice the cabbage into large wedges, keeping the core attached. Place the shanks in the bottom of a large pot. Sprinkle with peppercorns and salt. Add a layer of cabbage, repeat layers with the stew cubes, more pepper and cabbage, ending with cabbage. Sprinkle a couple of tablespoons of flour on top, for thickening, if desired. Add water or broth, bring to a boil. Cover and reduce heat. Simmer for 2-3 hours, until lamb falls off the shank bones.

Serve with boiled potatoes, tossed with grass-fed butter and fresh parsley.

We'll have lamb shanks and stew meat featured at all four of the farmers markets we attend through September, or until we sell out. You can order online to make sure you get yours, and we'll bring them to you at the market. Or, you can arrange to come pick up at the farm (and get a glimpse of the sheep while you're there!).