LAMB CASSEROLED WITH BLACK PUDDING,PLUM TOMATOES, BASIL & BARLEY WITH A BASIL SUET CRUST

There is not much to say about meaty main courses other than; if you are not having a relationship with a farmer then you really should be having a relationship with your local butcher!!!…be best friends with Barry & Darren  your butchers. Trust in their judgement, they have ensured all the meat sold here is fresh, local and so very flavoursome.                           

   2 large onions                                         
   3 tablespoons cold water                        
   3 tablespoons pearl barley                        
   Half tablespoon dried basil                        
   1 tin chopped plum tomatoes                   
   1  & 1/2lb lamb (cubed shoulder or leg)   
   4 ozs black pudding                                 
   boiling hot chicken stock to cover           
   6 ozs self-raising flour                        
   3 ozs suet (Atora)                                 
   1/2 teaspoon dried basil 
   salt & freshly ground black pepper    
   Cold water

1. Finely slice the onions and sweat in a large pan with the water.
2. Add the barley, basil, tomatoes, lamb, and black pudding.
3. Add enough boiling hot stock to cover the lamb.
4. Bring back to the boil and cook for 5 minutes.
5. Transfer to a large, lidded casserole. Pop in the oven.
6. Cook for 1 and a half to 2 hours until the barley is cooked and the lamb is lovely and tender. OVEN TEMP: 190C or 375F or GAS 5.
7. Mix the flour, suet, basil, salt and freshly ground black pepper with enough cold water to form a ‘wettish’ pastry dough.
8. Forty minutes before you wish to serve remove the casserole from the oven; Roll the pastry to 1/4 inch thick and fit over the casserole as a lid. Crimp the edges for a nice presentation.
9. Pop it back into the oven for half an hour to forty minutes until evenly brown.
10. Serve with AGA style potatoes, caraway carrots, (The recipes for which are on the vegetable racking), and any plain boiled seasonal green vegetable.