IRISH STEW WITH CRUSTY ONION DUMPLINGS

IRISH STEW WITH CRUSTY ONION DUMPLINGS

Ingredients

8 pieces of neck lamb.

Flour

Oil

2 onions cut into quarters

2 small carrots cut into 4 chunks

2 sticks celery

1 leek

2 small potatoes, cut into 8 pieces

750g chicken stock

20g pearl barley

Small sprig rosemary

Sea salt and freshly milled pepper

Roughly chopped flat parsley

Method

1. Season the meat and coat in the flour and fry off in oil until light brown.

2. Wash and trim the vegetables into equal size.

3. Cube the potatoes into 2.5cm chunks.

4. Place the neck in a casserole dish. Add the vegetables in the middle, season with sea salt and freshly milled pepper, place the cutlets on top. Pour over the stock and sprinkle in the barley.

5. Cook on a low light for about 2 hours, until the lamb "melts" and the barley is very soft.

6. Meanwhile make the dumplings.

For the Dumplings

Ingredients

½ medium onion finely chopped

120g Self raising flour

60g beef or vegetable suet

Small bunch of parsley roughly chopped

½ tsp English mustard

80ml water

Sea salt and freshly milled pepper

Method

1. First boil the onion in just enough water to cover for about one minute, drain well.

2. Mix the flour and suet together, add the parsley and mustard and bind together with the water.

3. Season with sea salt and freshly milled pepper and roll about 3-4cm long.

4. Cut into 2cm thick rounds when ready to bake.

5. To finish push onto the top of the stew and bake for about 15-20 minutes until crusty.