Lamb stew

Lamb Stew

This lamb stew is the ultimate in comfort foods for me and not just in the heart of winter... a good stew is welcomed any of the 365 days of the year. Served up with mashed or baby potatoes or just with a lovely fresh crusty loaf this has gotta be tried, tasted and loved! In this recipe i use lamb breast as ive found it to be one of the tastiest cuts of meat i have ever used and one of the cheapest... it is so underrated due to it being quite fatty but like its pork equivalent pork belly, when slowly cooked, the flavours it gives is absolutely beautiful. However i know not everyone will go for the lamb breast so feel free to use lamb stewing steak but dont knock the lamb breast until you have tried it. Your local butcher will sort you out with it.

Serves 4-6:

3 lamb breasts

4 carrots

4 parsnips

2 onions
3 sticks of celery

4-6 cloves of garlic

3/4 bottle of red wine

300ml of chicken or beef stock

2 tablespoons of crushed spices (cumin seeds, fennel seeds, caraway seeds)

A tied bunch of herbs (rosemary, mint & thyme)

2 bay leaves

Plain flour

1 packet of Oxtail soup

Method

1. Chop up the onion and garlic and sweat off in a large pot with some butter. In the meantime peel and chop the carrots and parsnips and chop the celery. Add to the sweated onion and garlic.
2. Rub the lamb breasts on both sides with the crushed spices and a little olive oil then cut them up into bite sized pieces. Toss the pieces in some flour and seal in a hot frying pan, this will take a few batches. 
3. Add the sealed lamb pieces to the vegetables in the pot and add in the wine and top up with the stock. Give it all a good stir around and add in the tied bunch of herbs and the bay leaves.
4. Bring to the boil and then reduce the heat right down to a light simmer for an hour and a half.
5. Pour the packet Oxtail soup into a mixing bowl and add a cup and a half of water and whisk until smooth but quite thick and add to the stew. Stir it well in and season the whole thing with sea salt and black pepper.
6. Continue to simmer for another hour and a half, stirring occasionally to prevent it from catching.
7. Remove the bunch of herbs and the 2 bay leaves. It is ready to serve with either potatoes or fresh crusty bread. If you can cook this the day before you need it all the better... it always tastes better the next day!