The secret here is to use a really big pot so that there’s plenty of room for you to brown the meat thoroughly before you add the other ingredients.
Ingredients
- 1.3kg stewing lamb on the bone (ask the butcher to cut it into large chunks)
- 2 tbsp plain flour
- 2 tbsp gravy powder
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 2 large onions, sliced
- 2 garlic cloves, crushed
- 500g small carrots, scraped
- 1kg new potatoes, scrubbed
- 3 tbsp sun-dried tomato paste
- Few sprigs of fresh thyme and fresh mint
- 1 chicken or pork stock cube
Method
- 1. Put the lamb onto a tray and season generously. Mix together the flour and gravy powder and sprinkle over the lamb.
- 2. Heat the oil in a large deep pan. Add the lamb and cook over a high heat for 10 minutes or until browned (do it in batches, if necessary). Reduce the heat to medium and add the onions and garlic. Cook for 5 minutes until softened.
- 3. Add the carrots, potatoes, sun-dried tomato paste and herbs. Crumble in the stock cube, add 1 litre water and mix together. Bring to the boil, then cover and simmer for 2¼ hours, until the meat and vegetables are tender. Gently stir every 30 minutes, to stop anything catching on the base of the pan. Serve in bowls.
Chef's tip
To oven cook: put in oven 180C/fan160C/gas 4 for the same time. If you do use an oven you should only use 600ml stock because it won’t bubble away and evaporate as it does on a hob.