Ingredients

• 1 tbsp vegetable oil
• 4 carrots
• 2 finely chopped
• 2 diced
• 1 onion
• finely chopped
• 1 large stick celery
• finely chopped
• 1kg/2lb 4oz flat rib
• or short ribs (including the bone)
• 125g/4½oz pearl barley
• 125g/4½oz split peas
• 2 bay leaves
• salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 100g/3½oz lentils
• 1 leek
• sliced
• 1 small turnip
• cut into 1cm/½in dice
• 2 medium potatoes
• cut into 1cm/½in dice

Directions

• Heat the vegetable oil in a large saucepan over a medium heat. Add the two finely chopped carrots
• the onion and celery and cook for five minutes
• or until soft. Add the flat ribs and 3 litres/5¼ pints of boiling water to the pan.
• Bring back to the boil and add the pearl barley
• split peas and bay leaves. Place a lid on the saucepan and reduce the heat. Simmer with the lid on for 1½ hours.
• Taste and add a good pinch of salt and pepper
• to taste. Add the lentils and cook for a further 20 minutes
• making sure to replace the lid.
• After 20 minutes
• add the leeks
• the reserved diced carrot
• the turnip and the potatoes and cook for a further 20 minutes
• or until tender.
• Adjust the seasoning by adding salt and pepper if required.
• Remove the flat ribs from the pan and set aside on a warm plate.
• Ladle the broth into serving bowls and carve a piece of flat rib from the bone and place on top of the broth.