Lamb and Barley Nanna Stew

Despite being summer,  it was a rainy, grey afternoon and I was keen to serve the family a hearty, satisfying and comforting bowl of steamy goodness – just like the stews our Nannas made on similar bleak days. 

This seemed to come together of it’s own accord – 

no doubt I was influenced by Grandmothers, the good old Australian Women’s Weekly and 

various other cookbooks over the years.  

It took a bit over an hour from start to table, 

but it was a stir now and then, do something else,

chop and add  – so quite restful to prepare. 

No hovering at the stove constantly.  

It was stir/simmer/stir therapy.

                                                                                                                

Time    10 -15 minutes preparation including removing fat from lamb chops

            40 minutes simmer and 20 more minutes simmer –  need to check/ stir every 10 minutes

Serves    4   (2 chops each) 

 but you could easily add more lamb chops and vegies to increase to 5 or 6 serves.

Ingredients

½ tablespoon Olive Oil

8 lamb chops – all fat trimmed off

2 medium onions – sliced

1 ½ cups Pearl Barley

1 small sweet potato – finely cubed

1 potato - diced

4 cups chicken stock – Salt reduced – add 2 cups first then  the rest as needed

1 – 2 cups water – warm from the kettle

2 carrots – halved longways and sliced

1 celery stalk – trimmed and sliced

Handful of green beans, trimmed and chopped in half

2 fresh bay leaves (or dried if not available)

1 stalk of rosemary (tossed in, as is)

Few stalks of thyme (tossed in, as is)

Pepper to taste

Baby kale leaves – good handful    OR      baby spinach leaves

Parsley – chopped (some to add in at the end and some for final garnish)

Optional – salt  - leave til the end and only add if needed

Method

            Use large wide stove top suitable pan  (min 8 – 10 cm deep) - with a lid

Heat Olive oil and add the trimmed lamb chops to brown both sides (2min per side)

Add onion and stir to soften.

Add barley, 2 cups of chicken stock and 1 cup water.

Mix in the sweet potato, potato and carrot pieces - mix about so evenly distributed.

Cover pan, bring to gentle boil then reduce to simmer for 40 minutes.

Check every 10 mins and stir to ensure not catching on base and add water/stock as needed. 
Do not dry out the stew, needs to be soupy moist.

Barley will then be almost cooked, so add in bay leaves, rosemary and thyme stalks.  Stir well.

Add celery and beans and more of the liquids.

The barley absorbs quite a lot of liquid – so keep it covered with liquid – add more as necessary/ soupy consistency is desired at end of cooking.

Cover and simmer gently for further 20 minutes or until barley is tender. Check it is not drying out.

Turn off the heat and remove the bay leaves, rosemary and large thyme stalks.
Add spinach / kale leaves -  these will wilt during the stir through. 
pepper to taste and add some of the parsley.

Check if you need to add a dash of salt. I did not need it.

Serve with final parsley garnish.

                                                                      Enjoy!    Colleen