Ingredients:
- 1 tbsp lamb fat ( (from the roast), lard, or butter)
- 1 onion (diced)
- 2 cloves garlic
- 2 sticks celery (diced)
- 2 carrots (diced)
- 250 g cooked leftover lamb (cut into 2 cm cubes. Discard bits of sinew and gristle.)
- 1 tbsp flour
- 2 tsp dried herbs (thyme or oregano)
- 500 g potatoes (halve larger new potatoes, or peel and chop larger spuds)
- 250 ml stock (lamb, chicken or vegetable)
- salt and pepper
- 1 tbsp cornflour (if needed)
- juice of half a lemon.
Instructions:
- Heat oven to 350°F (Fan).
- Prepare the potatoes by chopping larger new potatoes in half, or if using older, larger potatoes, peel and chop into 2 cm pieces.
- Parboil the potatoes in a large saucepan of salted water for 10 minutes. Drain and set aside.
- Put the fat in an oven-proof flat casserole dish with a lid. Set on a medium low ring on the stove to melt the fat.
- Fry onion and celery for a few minutes. Add a pinch of salt to draw out the liquid. Crush the garlic into the mixture and stir in. Cook for a few minutes, stirring until the onion is translucent.
- Add lamb and carrots and stir in. Cook for a couple of minutes.
- Add flour and herbs. Stir in well, so that the fat is all absorbed. If there is flour left over that hasn't combined with any fat, add a little more fat. Cook flour for a further 4–5 minutes.
- Slowly add stock, stirring well as you do so. Scrape the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon to make sure nothing’s stuck.
- Place potatoes on top of stew, and season with salt and pepper.
- Cover with the lid and place in oven. Cook for 30 minutes, or until the potatoes are soft
- If the sauce needs thickening, measure the cornflour into a small dish. Add a tablespoon of the liquid and mix well. Add more liquid if necessary, and stir to make a smooth paste. Add to the stew to thicken the sauce.
- Finally, just before serving, squeeze in the juice of half a lemon. This adds zing and really brightens the dish.
Notes:
- If you have it, add leftover gravy to the stock. Alternatively, you can use wine or beer.
- Mix up the vegetables - use more carrots or celery - add in other root vegetables such as diced parsnips, turnip or swede.
- Use gluten free flour if intolerant.
- You can use leftover roast potatoes, add for the last 15 minutes of cooking to reheat.
- Add some preserved lemon for the last 10 minutes of cooking to add zip and lightness to the dish.