Irish stew
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Ingredients
3 large onions, peeled and sliced thickly
10 medium potatoes, peeled and cut in half
900g lamb neck, cut into chunks
4 springs of thyme
5-6 medium to large carrots, peeled and cut into thick rounds
good handful of chopped parsley
200g smoked streaky bacon or rashers, cut into large chunks
1 bay leaf
80g pearl barley
850ml lamb or good chicken stock
a little rapeseed oil
Method
Preheat the oven to 180°C. Heat a little rapeseed oil in a large casserole over a medium-high heat. Add the bacon chunks for a few minutes until starting to crisp up. Add the lamb, allowing it to brown for around 5 or 6 minutes.
Remove the meat and set aside.
Add the onion and carrot to the pan and cook for 6-8 minutes until the onion is starting to turn translucent and brown. Add the meat back to the pan along with the bay leaf, sprigs of thyme and parsley. Pour in the stock along with the pearl barley and bring it all to a gentle simmer.
Add the potatoes to the casserole, sitting them on top of the stew and place in the oven with the lid on for around 90 minutes.
Remove from the oven and check that the potatoes are well done — falling apart when you place a knife into their floury flesh. You can stir them through or leave them on top, adding a few flecks of butter to each potato and a good crack of black pepper. You can garnish the whole thing with some more chopped parsley, chives or even some spring onion.
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