Slow-cooked Irish stew
By Sarah Cook
Contains pork – recipe is for non-Muslims only
Middle neck or scrag end of lamb are flavoursome cuts and perfect for braising. This traditional casserole contains filling pearl barley, too
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Prep:20 mins
Cook:8 hrs
- Serves 6
- Easy
Nutrition per serving
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kcal 673
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fat 39g
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saturates 16g
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carbs 40g
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sugars 11g
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fibre 7g
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protein 40g
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salt 1.4g
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp sunflower oil
- 200g smoked streaky bacon, preferably in one piece, skinned and cut into chunks
- 900g cheap stewing lamb like middle neck or scrag (ask at your butcher counter), cut into large chunks
- small bunch thyme
- 3 onions, thickly sliced
- 5 carrots, cut into big chunks
- 6 medium potatoes, cut into big chunks
- 700ml lamb stock
- 3 bay leaves
- 85g pearl barley
- 1 large leek, washed and cut into chunks
- small knob of butter
Method
Heat the slow cooker if necessary, then heat the oil in a frying pan. Sizzle the bacon until crisp, tip into the slow-cooker pot, then brown the chunks of lamb in the pan. Transfer to the slow-cooker pot along with the thyme, onions, carrots, potatoes, stock, bay leaves and enough water to cover the lamb. Cover and cook on Low for 7 hrs.
Stir in the pearl barley and leek, and cook on High for 1 hr more until the pearl barley is tender.
Stir in the butter, season and serve scooped straight from the dish.