Cawl (Welsh Lamb and Leek Stew)

Ingredients

• 700g lamb neck or shoulder, bone-in, cut into large chunks
• 1.5 litres lamb or beef stock, or water
• 2 bay leaves
• a few sprigs of thyme
• 1 large onion, diced
• 3 carrots, peeled and cut into chunks
• 1 small swede, peeled and cubed
• 4 medium potatoes, peeled and cubed
• 3 leeks, trimmed and sliced
• salt and black pepper, to taste
• chopped parsley, to serve
• crusty bread and Caerphilly cheese, to serve

Before you cook

• Trim any excess fat from the lamb and cut it into large chunks, keeping the bones for the pot.
• Peel and chop the onion, carrots, swede and potatoes into even, bite-sized chunks.
• Trim the leeks, slice them into rounds, and rinse them well in a colander to wash out any grit trapped between the layers, keeping them separate from the other vegetables.

Steps

1. Put the lamb and its bones into a large heavy pot and cover with the stock or water.
2. Bring the pot slowly up to a simmer, skimming off any grey foam that rises to the top.
3. Add the bay leaves, thyme and diced onion, then partially cover the pot and simmer gently for 1 hour 30 minutes until the lamb is starting to turn tender.
4. Lift the lamb out onto a plate, and once it is cool enough to handle, pull the meat from the bones and discard the bones and any large lumps of fat.
5. Return the shredded meat to the pot along with the carrots and swede.
6. Simmer for 25 minutes until the carrots and swede are just starting to soften.
7. Add the potatoes and simmer for a further 20 minutes until they are tender but not falling apart.
8. Stir in the sliced leeks and simmer for a final 8 minutes, just until they turn tender and bright green.
9. Season generously with salt and black pepper, tasting as you go.
10. Ladle the cawl into deep bowls and scatter over the chopped parsley before serving with crusty bread.