IRISH STEW
Serves 4-6.
You will need:
1kg (2.2lbs) gigot chops, cut 2cms (1in) thick 2 tablespoons butter or 2 tablespoons of the lamb fat or mutton fat that you have put into the hot casserole or saucepan to render down — see my Tip, above Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper 3 medium-sized carrots, peeled, and cut into thick slices at an angle or 12 small baby carrots, scrubbed and left whole 18 baby onions, peeled 2 tablespoons pearl barley 400ml (14fl oz) lamb stock or chicken stock Large sprig of thyme 8-12 potatoes, peeled and cut in half 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley 1 tablespoon chopped fresh chives Preheat the oven to 160°C, 350°F, Gas 3. Cut the gigot chops in half, but keep the bones intact, as they will give great flavour. Heat a casserole pot or a large saucepan with half of the butter or the rendered lamb fat or mutton fat, whichever you’re using, until it is hot. Toss in the meat and cook the chop halves for a couple of minutes on either side until they are is nice and brown, seasoning with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper as you go. You may need to cook the chop halves in batches. Remove the chop halves from the pan and set them aside on a plate, then cook the sliced carrots or the baby carrots, whichever you’re using, and the baby onions in some more of the hot butter or rendered fat for a couple of minutes until they are golden around the edges. Season with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. Add the pearl barley to the vegetables and put the chop halves back in. Add in the lamb stock or the chicken stock, whichever you’re using, and the thyme sprig. Season with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, then bring to the boil. Cover the pan and put it in the preheated oven for half an hour, then remove it from the oven and put the halved potatoes sitting on top of the stew.
Cover the saucepan and return it to the oven for another hour, until the meat is very tender and a skewer will easily go through the potatoes and the carrots. When the stew is cooked, pour off the cooking liquid and allow it to sit for a minute — you can add a cube of ice to speed up the process. The fat will float up to the top. Spoon the fat off and pour the juices back over the stew, add the chopped fresh parsley and the chopped fresh chives and serve.