ingredients
2 tbsp olive oil
2 onions, sliced
2 sticks celery, finely chopped
1 leek, halved & sliced
4 carrots, peeled & thickly sliced
2 parsnip, peeled & sliced thickly
6 (1kg) gigot lamb chops
4 tbsp plain flour
3 sprigs Thyme
2 sprigs Rosemary
1 pint stock
1x 400g tin chopped tomatoes
650g potatoes, scrubbed
Parsley, finely chopped, to serve
Serves 6
instructions
Preheat the oven to 180C. Place the olive oil and onions in a large heavy based pan over a medium heat. Sauté until softened slightly before adding the carrot, parsnip and leek. Stir to coat evenly in the oil and place the lid on the pan. Lower the heat and leave to cook for 5-8 minutes until the leek has melted down. Remove all of the vegetables from the pan and set aside in a bowl.
Season the flour well with salt and pepper. Coat the chops evenly with the seasoned flour. Return the pan to the heat along with another splash of olive oil. Brown the chops evenly on each side before pouring over the stock. Return the vegetables to the pan along with the herbs and tomatoes. Bring the stew to the boil then place the lid on and simmer in the oven for an hour before adding the potato.
Meanwhile boil the potatoes in salted water for ten minutes. Drain and leave to cool. Once cooled slice into thick rounds. Layer the potato slices on top of the lamb stew. Dot with butter and return to the oven for a further 45-60 minutes until the potato is golden and the stew bubbling. Scatter with parsley before serving.
