This British version of stew is topped with thinly sliced potatoes. Beef is fried in butter and oil until browned. Then onions are sautéed in the pan after the meat is removed. Next stock, bay leaves, salt, pepper and Worcestershire sauce are added to the pot. Everything is stirred together and baked in an oven for 30 minutes. Chopped carrots are stirred in next before transferring the mixture to a casserole dish. Thinly sliced potatoes are placed on top before additional baking.
Ingredients
1tbspbutter
1tbspvegetable oil
1.1lblamb shouldercut into bite size pieces
2brown onionspeeled and sliced thinly
1heaped tbsp plain flour
2cupschicken or vegetable stockwarmed
2bay leaves
½tspsalt
½tspground pepper
1tbspWorcestershire sauce
3medium sized carrotspeeled and cut into chunks
1 ½lbpotatoespeeled and sliced 2-3 mm thick
1tbspmelted butter for brushing
¼tspthyme
Instructions
Preheat oven to 325 F.
Melt butter and oil in Dutch oven and fry the meat until lightly browned all over (3-4 minutes). Spoon the meat into a bowl, and then add the onions to the pan and cook 3-4 minutes, stirring regularly until soft.
Add the meat back in, and then stir in the flour, cooking for a minute. Add the stock, bay leaves, salt, pepper and Worcestershire sauce. Stir together, bring to a gentle bubble. Then place a lid on it and cook in oven for 30 minutes.
Stir in carrots, transfer to a casserole or pie dish. Top with sliced potatoes. Start from the outside and layer the potatoes, moving towards the center.
Brush the top with melted butter and sprinkle with thyme. Cover with foil and cook in oven for 1 hour.
After 1 hour, change oven to 400 F. Remove foil. Cook for 30 minutes, until potatoes are crisp on top.
Remove from oven, rest for 5 minutes before serving.