Ingredients

• 100g/3½oz pot barley
• 3 medium onions
• 2 large celery stalks
• 1 large parsnip
• 2 carrots
• 4-5 medium potatoes
• 8 thick neck of lamb chops
• a few sprigs of thyme and a few bay leaves
• ½ tin corned beef
• cut into thick chunks
• white pepper
• water or stock to cover
• small handful of parsley
• salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions

• Boil the pot barley in unsalted water for 25 minutes
• then drain it.
• Preheat an oven to 160C/320F/Gas 3.
• Peel the onions and slice them into thick rings.
• Cut the celery into short lengths.
• Peel the parsnip
• carrot and potatoes and cut them into fat chunks.
• Pile the vegetables into a large deep pot
• then tuck in the chops
• thyme and bay leaves.
• Add the corned beef.
• Season with a little white pepper
• no salt
• then pour in the drained barley and enough water or stock to cover the meat and vegetables completely. Bring it slowly to the boil.
• Skim off the froth that accumulates on the surface with a slotted spoon.
• Cover the top of the stew with a sheet of greaseproof paper
• then with a lid. Transfer the pot to the oven and cook for two hours.
• Remove the lid. The liquor should be thin
• thickened only slightly by the potatoes. Chop the parsley and mix it in carefully
• so as not to smash the vegetables
• then season with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
• Leave overnight. Next day
• skim the fat from the top
• then reheat slowly on the stove until the meat is thoroughly hot and the broth gently bubbling. Season as required and serve piping hot.