Lamb Stew Hotpot

You can also use neck of lamb or gigot chops to make this stew. Shoulder, neck or gigot all offer excellent value for money and are full of flavour.

Serves 6

675g shoulder of lamb
4 tablesp. plain flour
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 teasp. chopped fresh thyme
1 small onion, sliced
1 large leek, sliced
2 large carrots, sliced
100g swede, cut into cubes
About 600ml chicken stock
Dash of Worcestershire sauce
675g even-sized potatoes
40g butter
Chopped fresh parsley, to garnish

Preheat the oven to Gas Mark 4, 180ºC/350ºF. Trim the lamb very well and cut into bite-sized pieces. Place the flour in a shallow dish and season generously, then use to coat the lamb. Arrange half of the lamb in the bottom of a round casserole dish and add a sprinkling of thyme. Scatter the onion, leek, carrots and swede on top, then season and add another sprinkling of thyme. Arrange the remaining lamb on top to cover the vegetables completely and sprinkle over the remaining thyme.

Pour enough chicken stock to just come up above the last layer of lamb. Cover the casserole with a lid and place in the oven for about 1 hour until the lamb and vegetables are just tender and the stock has thickened slightly.

Place the potatoes in a pan of boiling salted water and bring to the boil, then simmer for 10 minutes. Drain in a colander and set aside for 5 minutes until cool enough to handle. Slice the potatoes lengthways into 1cm thick slices and lay them in a slightly overlapping layer on top of the stew.

Melt the butter in a small pan or in the microwave and brush over the potatoes. Season to taste and cook in the oven for another 40 minutes until the potatoes are cooked through and nicely golden and the lamb stew is bubbling up around the edges of the dish. Serve straight to the table.

Nutritonal Analysis

Energy            441 kcal
Protein            22g
Carbohydrates        28g
Fat            26g
Iron            2.1mg