This recipe uses neck of lamb, a cut which has a delicious flavour and is sadly not used much these days. It is also a cheap cut.
Lamb casserole
4 healthy eaters.
1.5kg lamb neck, cut into good sized pieces (bone in)
2 tbs sunflower / rape seed oil
750ml water (or vegetable stock)
2 onions, diced (3cm ish cubes)
2 – 4 cloves garlic, crushed
3 carrots (good chunks)
2 sticks celery (3cm lengths)
Swede / butternut squash / parsnip / turnip (a selection of these cut into chunks (optional)
Ground Pepper / Salt for seasoning
Bayleaf / Rosemary
Zest of orange (1 or 2 strips, peeled with a potato peeler and then cut into thin strips) optional
- Heat the oil in a saucepan or casserole dish.
- Add the onion, and brown slightly and quickly.
- Add the lamb, garlic, salt and pepper, brown quickley.
- Add the rest of the veg, herbs and orange zest (if using). Add the liquid, bring to a gentle simmer.
- Cover and place in oven 140 degrees or stove top for 2 – 3 hours. Check seasoning and serve.
Great served with mash and cabbage
You can adapt the recipe by adding redcurrants (or redcurrant jelly) half way through the cooking process (if you add redcurrants, you may want to add a tablespoon of brown sugar).
You could also bake in the oven with slices of potato on top layer slices of potato, about 1cm thick, the potatoes should be basted with butter and seasoned . Keep covered for half the cooking time, uncover to allow to crisp up).
If you like barley, add a couple of handfuls of pearl barley 1 hour before the end of cooking time, check the liquid situation, you may need to add more.