Irish Stew from Cooking and the Crown

Serves 4

2 middle necks of lamb, filleted, boned and bones reserved (you could also use shoulder or leg, but it does need to have some extra fat, as this is a slow-cooked dish)

900ml lamb stock (see Note in method)

700g carrots, peeled

450g floury potatoes (such as King Edward), peeled

450g waxy potatoes (such as Pentland Javelin or Maris Peer), peeled

1 onion, peeled and thickly sliced

A good pinch of fresh thyme leaves

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Chopped fresh chives and flat-leaf

Parsley, to garnish

Search for lamb, carrots, onions and a whole range of fresh ingredients on Wylde Market.

Note: Ask your butcher to bone the lamb for you, and have him give you the bones too. Make a well-flavoured stock using the bones and the trimmings from the carrots and onion, plus other vegetables and herbs you like.

Cut the lamb into large chunks and put in a heavy-based saucepan. Traditionally, the meat is not browned. Pour in the stock and bring to the boil, skimming off all the impurities from the surface. Remove the pieces of lamb with a slotted spoon and reserve. Strain the stock through a fine sieve into a clean pan. Add the pieces of lamb back in and bring back to the boil, then reduce the heat, cover and simmer gently for 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, cut the carrots into pieces a little smaller than the pieces of lamb, and the potatoes into pieces the same size as the lamb. Add the carrots, floury potatoes and onion to the pan and simmer for 10 minutes. Next, add the waxy potatoes and the thyme and simmer for a further 15–20 minutes, or until the lamb is very tender. The floury potatoes will have broken down to thicken the sauce, while the waxy potatoes will have kept their shape.

Remove from the heat, cover and leave to stand, without stirring, for 15 minutes.

Check the seasoning, then serve sprinkled generously with chopped chives and parsley.