Serves 4-6 servings | Prep 15 minutes | Cook 2 hours
Ingredients
900g lamb neck, cut into 2-3cm chunks
1 3/4 l vegetable, chicken or lamb stock
6 sprigs thyme leaves picked and chopped
2 bay leaves
1/2 swede, about 200g, peeled and cut into 1cm chunks
2 carrots, cut into 1cm chunks
2 medium potatoes, cut into 1cm chunks
50g pearl barley
2 leeks, trimmed, halved lengthways and cut into 1/2cm thick slices
Small handful parsley, roughly chopped
Method
01 Add the lamb, stock, thyme, and bay leaves to your largest saucepan with a lid or casserole pot. Season with salt and pepper, bring to a simmer and cook, covered, for 1 hour until the lamb is beginning to tenderise. Use a ladle to regularly skim any scum from the surface.
02 After an hour, add the swede, carrot, potatoes, and pearl barley. Bring back to a simmer and cook for 25-30 mins until the vegetables are just tender. Add the leeks and cook for a further 15-20 minutes until the lamb is completely tender and the vegetables and pearl barley are cooked through, the leeks should still retain a bite. Taste and adjust seasoning if you like.
03 Stir through the parsley and divide between bowls.
Cawl: Welsh recipe
If a comforting stew is what you're after, then our cawl recipe is bound to go down a treat. Originating from Wales, this deliciously hearty and soul-warming Welsh cawl is the perfect remedy to a cold winter's day.
Made with lamb neck, a delicious and cheap cut of meat that's at its best when slow-cooked in a stew like this, this recipe can be cooked with a whole range root vegetables, such as parsnips if you like.