Julius Roberts’ Lamb Stew with Pearl Barley and Wild Garlic
As the seasons turn from winter to spring, make sure you have this recipe from Julius Roberts bookmarked and ready to go. Brimming with seasonal vegetables, lamb and wild garlic, it comes together in a single pot on the stove to produce a hearty stew with real depth of flavour.
From the book
The Farm Table
100 recipes that capture the essence of British rural life and home cooking.
Thoughtful dishes to celebrate the seasons and focus on hero ingredients.
From hearty winter stews and roasts, to fresh summer salads and desserts.
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Introduction
There’s a day I look forward to each year when the mood of winter shifts to spring. It’s a change you can feel in the air, a joyousness, a bounce to life. After months of impenetrable cloud and unrelenting rain, the sun breaks through and the grey, lifeless light of winter begins to reawaken with the fizz and energy of spring. The goats lie basking in the sun, birds sing louder and wild daffodils emerge in the woods. The beehives hum with life and perhaps most excitingly of all, spears of wild garlic and other wild delights begin to burst through the banks and hedgerows.
This comes from one of those days when, walking home from the woods with a handful of young wild garlic, I was cold and desperate for something properly nourishing. So here we have a brothy and unctuous stew of meltingly tender lamb, packed with veg and herbs and underpinned by the soothing texture of pearl barley. While the wild garlic is fantastic, I appreciate it can be hard to find; have no fear, as this is equally delicious with cavolo nero or even just a handful of parsley.
Ingredients
| 750g | lamb neck fillet (or thick-cut lamb shoulder) |
| 3 tbsp | olive oil |
| 5 cloves of | garlic, roughly chopped |
| 3 | brown onions, finely diced |
| 5 | salted anchovies |
| A large | glass of red wine |
| 3 | bay leaves |
| A few sprigs of | fresh thyme |
| 4 | carrots, cut into jaunty chunks |
| 4 | celery sticks, thinly sliced |
| 1.2 litres | chicken stock |
| 200g | pearl barley |
| 300g | wild garlic (or cavolo nero), roughly chopped |
| apple cider or sherry vinegar, to finish |
Method
Start by preparing the lamb neck. Cut it in half lengthways, then slice across for thick chunks. Season the pieces generously with salt, then leave to one side for 15 minutes so the salt can penetrate while you prep the veg.
When ready, pour the olive oil into a deep heavy-based pan and place on a medium heat. Once the oil is hot, chuck in the lamb – the aim here is to properly caramelise the meat all over, which adds so much flavour to the stew. When it’s good and brown, remove and set to one side.
Turn the heat down and add the garlic, onions and anchovies with a generous pinch of salt and cook for 10 minutes, until sweet and sticky. Pour in the wine and reduce by half, then add the bay leaves, thyme, carrots and celery. Cook the veg for another 10 minutes, then put the lamb back in, pour over the stock, put the lid on and gently simmer at the faintest of bubbles for 30 minutes.
At this point have a taste and adjust the seasoning as necessary – I’m sure a good whack of pepper will do it good. Add the pearl barley, give it a stir, then put the lid back on and gently simmer for another 30–45 minutes, until the pearl barley is cooked. At this point, the lamb should be meltingly tender. Add the wild garlic, give it a good stir and let it briefly wilt. Pour in the tiniest splash of vinegar, being careful not to overdo it, the aim here just being to brighten up the stew, not make it taste vinegary. Stir and taste to check your seasoning for a final time. Serve piping hot in deep bowls, with a drizzle of good olive oil.
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