Ingredients
- 1 whole lamb shoulder (approximately 1.5kg)
- 3 carrots
- 2 brown onions
- 2 leeks
- 2 tbs vegetable oil
- 1.5 litres chicken stock
- 1 handful thyme
- 2 bay leaves
- 3 tbs Worcestershire sauce
- 12 small new potatoes
- 100g pearl barley
- 1 large handful of flat parsley, chopped
- Sea salt and black pepper
- Begin by preparing the lamb shoulder. Carefully remove the meat from the bone before cutting into thumb-size chunks (or you can ask your butcher to do this for you). Don’t worry if there is fat included as this adds to the flavour. Retain the bone for the broth.
- Peel the carrots and onions and wash the leeks. Slice the carrots at an angle into thumb-size chunks. Cut the onions into quarters and slice the leeks.
- Place a large flameproof casserole dish over a high heat and add the oil. Season the lamb pieces with salt, add to the dish and fry for about three minutes to caramelise all over. Add the onions and fry for a few minutes to brown them slightly and bring out the sweetness.
- Now add the stock and bring to the boil, scraping the caramelised bits off the bottom with a wooden spoon to deglaze the pan.
- Add the raw lamb bone from the shoulder, the carrots and leeks along with the thyme and bay leaves and bring the stock to the boil.
- Season the broth with Worcestershire sauce, salt and black pepper before reducing over the heat to a simmer. Cover the pot with a lid and cook over a very low heat for three hours until the lamb is soft.
- Add the potatoes and pearl barley for the last 30 minutes so they cook through in the broth.
- To finish, adjust the seasoning again and add all the chopped parsley before serving in warm bowls.
