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The Ultimate Slow Cooked Lamb Recipe
Jillian Bloomberg

The Ultimate Slow Cooked Lamb

This slow-cooked lamb recipe can be enjoyed at any time of the year, although we must admit, with autumn/fall a few months away, this really is a special treat to enjoy on a cold and gloomy Sunday afternoon after a long walk in the countryside in the morning.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 3 hours
Servings: 4
Course: Main Course
Ingredients Equipment Method

Ingredients
  

  • 900 g Stewing lamb (neck or leg) dusted in seasoned flour
  • 1 large Onion diced
  • 2 cloves Garlic diced
  • 1 small Parsnip diced
  • ½ cup Red lentils rinsed
  • 1 medium Carrot diced
  • stalk Celery diced
  • 1 small Swede diced
  • 2 Bay leaves
  • sprig Rosemary diced
  • 1 bunch Thyme
  • A handful of Parsley chopped
  • Oil
  • Salt and pepper
  • 1 tsp English mustard powder
  • 300 ml Chicken stock
  • 1 heaped tbsp Redcurrant jelly
  • A few splashes of Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 bottle Good quality red wine
For the Dumplings
  • 150 g Self-raising flour
  • 70 g Beef suet
  • Salt and pepper
  • Optional handful of chopped parsley

Equipment

  • Large casserole dish
  • Slotted Spoon
  • Large Baking bowl

Method
 

Slow Cooked Lamb Method
  1. Take a large casserole dish, add the oil, and add several chunks of your flour-coated diced lamb, making sure not to overcrowd the pan as this will cause the meat to stew.
  2. Brown off your meat, remove with a slotted spoon and repeat the process again until your meat is nicely browned off and gently caramelised.
  3. Pour a touch more oil to the pan and add your bay leaves, chopped onions, carrot, parsnip, swede, and celery and gently saute over a medium heat until soft.
  4. Add your diced garlic and cook on low for a further two minutes.
  5. Throw in the diced rosemary, parsley, and thyme and continue to cook over a medium to low heat.
  6. Next, add your browned off lamb and any juices that may have seeped out of the meat and turn the heat up slightly.
  7. Deglaze the pan with a quick splash of wine.
  8. Now, add a good glug of Worcester sauce, the redcurrant jelly, the mustard powder, salt and pepper, and your chicken stock and bring to a simmer.
  9. Add your bottle of wine and bring to a boil (making sure to set a small glass aside a la Keith Floyd, to enjoy as part of your chef’s privileges).
  10. Throw in the lentils, bring to a boil, stir, put on the lid, and add to a pre-heated oven at 170 degrees C and cook for at least 3 hours, checking and stirring the mixture regularly to ensure it isn’t catching.
  11. Meanwhile, as your casserole is cooking away nicely in the oven, clean up the kitchen, enjoy the glass of wine, and start thinking about the dumplings.
Dumplings Method
  1. Take a large baking bowl, add your flour, suet, salt and pepper. Very gently run the mixture through your fingertips until it resembles fine breadcrumbs.
  2. Now add the chopped parsley and stir again.
  3. Around 20 minutes before the stew is ready, take your dumpling mix. Add a few tablespoons of water to form a stiff, yet mouldable dough. Roll the dumplings into balls, coat in a very, very light coating of flour. Next place them on top of your stew as neatly or as “rustically” as you would like.
  4. Cover, and return to the oven for 20 minutes until light, soft, and fluffy on the inside.
  5. As a top tip, if you like a crispier dumpling, leave the lid off the stew.
  6. Serve with homemade mashed potato with plenty of cream and butter, and garnish with a flourish of chopped parsley.
  7. Don’t forget to get a photo for social media! What’s left? Tuck in and enjoy this warm hug in a bowl!