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Irresistible Irish Lamb Stew

Ingredients

• 3 middle necks of lamb (about 1.8kg/4lb), fi lleted and boned – you need to end up with about 950g/2lb 2oz pure meat • 650g fl oury potatoes, such as King Edward • 650g waxy potato, such as Desirée or Pentland Javelin • 1kg carrots • 2 onions • ½ tsp fresh thyme leaves • chopped fresh chives and parsley, to garnish

For the stock

• bones from the lamb • 1 large carrot, quartered • 1 onion, quartered • ½ celery stick, quartered • 1 bay leaf • 2 large sprigs of thyme • a generous sprig of parsley • 6 black peppercorns, lightly crushed

Method

Make the stock. Put the lamb bones in a large, heavy-based saucepan with the carrot, onion, celery, herbs, peppercorns and 1 tsp salt. Pour in 3 litres/5¼ pints of water. Bring to the boil and simmer uncovered for 2 hours.

Strain the stock through a fi ne sieve to remove bones and vegetables, then return to the pan. Boil until reduced to about 1.3 litres/2¼ pints. (You can make the stock the day before – keep it in a covered container in the fridge, or freeze it for up to 3 months.) Make the stew. Cut the lamb into large chunks. Peel the potatoes (keeping both types separate) and cut into pieces of similar size to the meat. Put the two different types in separate bowls of water to keep them white. Peel the carrots and cut into slightly smaller pieces. Slice the onions into thick rings.

Put the lamb in a large, clean saucepan. Pour in the stock and bring to the boil, skimming off all the impurities from the surface. Reduce the heat, cover and simmer gently for 10 minutes. Add the fl oury potatoes, carrots and onions. Season generously and simmer for a further 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

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