Ingredients

The following ingredients have 6 Servings
  • 800 g diced stewing lamb
  • ½ a bunch of fresh rosemary
  • 2 heaped tablespoons plain flour
  • olive oil
  • 1 red onion
  • 8 field mushrooms
  • 1 handful of baby carrots
  • 1 parsnip
  • 1 tablespoon Marmite
  • 2 heaped tablespoons pearl barley
  • 285 ml rich ale such as Guinness, Caffrey’s, John Smith’s 550ml organic stock
  • 550 ml organic stock
  • 18 higher-welfare chipolata sausages
  • 6 woody sprigs of fresh rosemary (optional)

Instruction

  • Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/gas 4.
  • Roughly dice the lamb and put into a bowl. Season well with a good pinch of sea salt and black pepper.
  • Pick and finely chop the rosemary leaves and add to the bowl with the flour. Mix around so that the meat is completely covered.
  • Fry the lamb in a couple of tablespoons of oil in a hot casserole pan — do this in batches so the pieces get a nice bit of colour, then remove to a plate.
  • Turn the heat down. Peel and roughly chop the onion, tear the mushrooms in half, and peel and grate the parsnip.
  • Fry the onion, mushrooms and carrots for 5 minutes, or until soft and slightly coloured. Add the lamb back to the pan along with the parsnip, Marmite, pearl barley, ale and stock. Bring to the boil, then simmer for 20 minutes while you strip the leaves off the woody rosemary sprigs and skewer 3 chipolatas on to each of them (or use skewers).
  • Just before the stew goes in the oven, add the chipolatas to the pan, then place a lid on or make a cartouche, wet it and tuck this over the pan.
  • Cook for 1 hour, or until the lamb falls apart. I love to eat it just as it is, almost like a thick soup, with some crusty bread.