Ingredients

• 750g/1lb 10oz lamb neck fillet
• cut into 2.5cm/1in cubes
• salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 25g/1oz plain flour
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 50g/2oz butter
• 12 baby onions
• peeled
• 2 medium carrots
• cut into large dice
• 1 medium swede
• cut into large dice
• 50ml/2fl oz white wine
• 2 sprigs rosemary
• 4 bay leaves
• 1.25 litres/2 pints lamb stock
• 3 tbsp flatleaf parsley
• roughly chopped
• 125g/4½ oz plain flour
• 65g/2½ oz suet
• ½ tsp baking powder
• pinch salt
• 1 tbsp rosemary
• finely chopped
• 500ml/18fl oz lamb stock

Directions

• Preheat the oven to 120C/250F/Gas ½.
• Season the lamb and dust with the flour. Palce a heavy-bottom casserole dish over a medium heat
• add the olive oil and butter then the lamb. Fry until golden-brown. Remove the lamb and keep to one side.
• Reduce the heat and fry the onions
• carrots and swede until caramelised. Add the wine and simmer until the volume of liquid has reduced by half
• then add the lamb back in with the lamb stock. Bring the stew to a simmer then add the bay leaf and rosemary. Cover with a lid
• transfer the pan to the oven and bake for one hour.
• For the dumplings
• mix the flour
• suet
• baking powder and a pinch of salt in a bowl. Add the rosemary then gradually stir in 3–5 tablespoons of cold water
• or enough to form a sticky dough. Flour your hands and then roll the dough into 12 small balls. Place on a plate in the fridge to chill.
• When the lamb stew is ready
• place 500ml/18fl oz lamb stock into a seperate pan and bring to a simmer. Add the dumplings and simmer for 6–8 minutes. Discard the stock when the dumplings are cooked and set them aside to rest for a minute.
• Add the dumplings and parsley to the casserole dish and serve equally between four shallow bowls.