1kg(2.2lb)baby potatoeshalved if large (see Notes)
100ml(½cup)water
salt and freshly ground black pepper
2tbspflat leaf parsleychopped, to garnish
Instructions
Put the lamb in the slow cooker with the remaining ingredients and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Stir to combine well, then cook on low for 6 hours or on high for 4 hours. Remove and discard the bay leaves and check the seasoning.
If you don’t have a slow cooker, you can cook the dish in a casserole in a low oven - wet a disc of compostable baking paper the same diameter/dimensions as the casserole then scrunch it up and place it onto the stew. Cover with the lid on and cook at 150C/130C fan/gas 2 for 4 hours. Remove and discard the bay leaves and check the seasoning,
Garnish with the chopped parsley and serve with crusty bread or your choice of vegetable side dishes.
Notes
Baby potatoes – I increased the quantity of potatoes in the original recipe from 750g to 1kg. However, if you’re planning to serve bread on the side, I’d suggest reducing the amount of potatoes to 750g.
To batch cook ahead – cool the stew, then portion into airtight containers and freeze for up to 6 months. Defrost overnight in the fridge, then reheat on the hob until piping hot.
Optional variations:
Minted lamb stew – swap the ground cinnamon for fresh mint or mint sauce.
Root vegetable stew – add chunks of carrots, parsnip and swede.
Low carb version – leave out the potatoes.
Make a tagine - swap the herbs and spices for shop bought tagine paste, and swap the potatoes for root vegetables and dried apricots. Serve with couscous.
Make it into a pie - leave out the potatoes and use the lamb stew for a pie filling. At the end of cooking time, thicken the sauce with a cornflour slurry - mix 1 tbsp of cornflour with 1 tbsp cold water, then on a fast simmer, slowly pour in the cornflour slurry, stirring as you do. You may not need it all, just use as much as you need to get a thick sauce. Pour the lamb mixture into a pie dish, top with ready-rolled puff pastry, brush with beaten egg and make a hole in the centre of the pastry to let steam out. Bake at 200C/180C fan/gas 6 for 30 to 40 minutes, until the pastry is golden.
This slow cooker lamb stew with potatoes recipe is easily adapted if you’re cooking for less people. The photos are half the recipe, to serve 4.