Hearty Irish Stew

Preheat the oven to 180°C or Gas Mark 4. Place the flour in a shallow dish and season generously. Coat the lamb in seasoning too. Arrange half of the lamb in the bottom of a round casserole dish and add a sprinkle of thyme.

Scatter over the onion and carrots, then season to taste. Add another sprinkle of thyme. Arrange the remaining lamb on top to cover the vegetables completely and sprinkle over the remaining thyme.

Pour enough chicken stock to cover the last layer of lamb. Add a dash of Worcestershire Sauce. Cover the casserole with the lid and place in the oven.

Once in the pot, it cooks itself. After 1 hour check on the stew and if the lamb and vegetables are tender and the stock has thickened. If so, it is done.

Place the potatoes in a large pan of boiling salted water and bring to the boil, then simmer for 10 minutes. Drain in a colander and set aside for 5 minutes until cool enough to handle.

Slice the potatoes lengthways into 1cm thick slices and lay them in a slightly overlapping blanket layer on top of the stew.

Melt the butter in a small pan and brush over the potatoes. Season to taste and cook in the oven for another 40 minutes until the potatoes are cooked through and nicely golden. The stew should be bubbling around the edges of the dish.

Serve straight from the oven to the table.