INGREDIENTS
2 table spoons olive oil
20 grams butter
2 items onions, roughly chopped
2 items garlic cloves, chopped
1 1/2 kilograms lamb neck fillet, cut into large chunks and trimmed of any excess fat
30 grams flour
1 tea spoons tomato puree
1 litres water
2 items lamb stock cubes
1 items touch of gravy browning (optional)
3 items carrots, peeled and chopped into large pieces
2 items sticks celery, put into chunks
2 items bay leaves
2 items -3 thyme sprigs or rosemary sprigs
750 grams potatoes, peeled
25 fluid ounces clarified butter or ghee or 20g butter and 1tsp olive oil melted together
PREPARATION
1Pre-heat the oven to 140C fan, Gas Mark 3.
2Pour the olive oil into a large frying pan and set to heat through well.
3Meanwhile, heat the butter in a large, heavy casserole dish. Add in the onion and garlic to the butter and fry gently, stirring often, to bring out the onion’s natural sweetness.
4As the onion softens, add the lamb chunks to the hot olive oil in the frying pan, placing them in one layer in the pan, and fry until brown, checking them every so often.
5Now add the flour to the softened onions, stirring in vigorously with a wooden spoon.
6Add in the tomato puree, mixing in well and fry, stirring, for 1–2 minutes.
7Add in around a quarter of the water, mixing it in to dissolve the roux. Continue adding the water in 4–5 stages, mixing well between each addition. After all, you don’t want it to be lumpy.
8Now add in the lamb stock cubes, crumbling them in. Add a touch of gravy browning if using and stir in. Stir until the cubes have dissolved and simmer gently.
9Meanwhile, after the lamb has been frying for around 5–6 minutes, turn the pieces over and fry for a further 5–6 minutes until golden brown on both sides.
10Add the carrot and celery to the simmering stock. Add in the browned lamb to the stock, fitting it snugly into the casserole dish, then the bay leaves and thyme.
11Cut the potatoes in half, then slice into 5mm-thick slices. Place the potato slices in a bowl and toss with the clarified butter or butter and olive oil mixture until coated.
12Layer the potato slices, overlapping them as you do so, on top of the lamb. The natural starch within the potatoes helps them stick together.
13Cover the casserole dish and bring the mixture to the boil.
14Bake, covered, for 2 hours in the oven. Serve.
