serves
6
prep
15 minutes
cook
2:45 hours
difficulty
Easy
serves
6
people
preparation
15
minutes
cooking
2:45
hours
difficulty
Easy
level
The beauty of this stew is that it benefits from being made ahead – just finish if off by making the dumplings the next day.
Ingredients
- 1.2 kg boneless lean lamb, trimmed of excess fat (shoulder or neck), cut into large chunks
- 1½ tbsp plain flour
- 2 tbsp + 1 tsp (45 ml) tbsp olive oil
- 2 large onions, sliced
- 2 celery sticks, chopped
- 2 carrots, chopped
- 2½ tbsp pearl barley
- 1 bay leaf
- 2–3 thyme sprigs
- 1 L fresh chicken stock
- 2 large waxy potatoes, diced
- Sea salt and black pepper
Dumplings
- 175 g self-raising flour
- 1½ tbsp finely chopped flat-leaf parsley
- 75 g butter
- 50 g Cheddar, grated
Instructions
1. Preheat the oven to 160°C (140°C fan).
2. Season the lamb and dust lightly with the flour. Heat 1½ tablespoons of the oil in a large casserole over a medium heat and brown the lamb all over in batches. Remove from the casserole and set aside.
3. Add the remaining oil to the casserole and gently fry the onions, celery and carrot for 5 minutes until softened. Scatter the pearl barley into the casserole then place the lamb chunks on top along with the bay leaf, thyme sprigs and stock. Add the potatoes, season well then bring to the boil. Cover with a lid, transfer to the oven and cook for 2 hours.
4. Add all the ingredients for the dumplings to a mixing bowl. Rub the butter into the flour using your fingertips. Season well, then gradually add up to 100ml of water until you have a soft, slightly sticky dough. Using floured hands, shape into 12 evenly sized balls and set aside.
5. Remove the casserole from the oven and increase the heat to 200°C (180°C fan). Place the dumplings around the edge of the stew. Re-cover and return to the oven for a further 30 minutes until the dumplings are pillowy – to brown the dumplings, cook for another few minutes uncovered. Serve in deep bowls.
Cook's Notes
Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.
The beauty of this stew is that it benefits from being made ahead – just finish if off by making the dumplings the next day.
