Ingredients
- 1 tbsp butter
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil
- 1.1 pounds (500g) lamb not too lean – neck is best, but shoulder works well too, cut into bite-size chunks
- 2 brown onions peeled and sliced thinly
- 1 heaped tbsp plain flour use gluten free plain flour if required
- 2 cups (480ml) hot chicken or vegetable stock water with a couple of stock cubes is fine – or use bouillon for gluten free
- 2 bay leaves
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
- 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce (use a gluten free version if required)
- 3 medium sized carrots peeled and cut into chunks
- 1 1/2 pounds (680g) potatoes peeled and sliced to 2-3mm thick (floury potatoes such as maris pipers work best)
- 1 tbsp melted butter for brushing
- 1/4 tsp dried thyme
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 170C/325F
- Melt the butter and vegetable oil in a medium sized casserole or sauce pan and fry the lamb pan until lightly browned all over (about 3-4 minutes). Spoon the lamb into a bowl, then add the onions to the pan and cook for 3-4 minutes, stirring regularly, until soft.
- Add the lamb back in, then stir in the flour, cooking for a minute. Add in the stock, bay leaves, salt, pepper and Worcestershire sauce. Give everything a stir, bring to a gently bubble. Then place a lid on it and cook in the oven for 30 minutes.
- After 30 minutes, stir in the carrots. At this point, you can transfer the contents of the pan to a casserole or pie dish if you wish (I moved mine to a 25cm diameter pie dish). Top with the sliced potatoes. Start from the outside, and layer the potatoes, moving towards the centre.
- Brush the top of the potatoes with the melted butter and sprinkle on the dried thyme. Cover with a lid or foil and place back in the oven for 1 hour.
- After an hour, turn the oven up to 200c/400f and remove the lid. Cook for a further 30 minutes until the potatoes are browned and crisp on top.
- Take out of the oven, and leave to rest for 5 minutes or so (it will be very hot), then serve with some green veg.
