Slow Cooked Lamb with Maple Syrup

Serves: to serve 4

Prep Time: 5 Minutes

Cook Time: 4 Hours

Ready In: 4 hrs 5 mins

Ingredients

3¼ lb - leg of lamb

2 - onions

8 oz - chestnuts

5 - carrots

2 sprigs - fresh rosemary

¼ pint - maple syrup

1¼ pint - water

2 - beef stock cubes

1 teaspoon - cornflour (cornstarch or wheat starch)

Directions

  1. This is so easy to make, it deserves a medal!!! Peel and roughly chop the onions. Peel and chop the carrots into three or four pieces. Place the chopped onion in a Dutch oven or large casserole dish (big enough to accommodate your joint). Wash the lamb then pat dry with kitchen paper. Place it on top of the onions. Spread the carrots around the joint and sprinkle the chestnut pieces over the top.
  2. Place two large sprigs of fresh rosemary down the sides of casserole or pot and pour the maple syrup all over the meat. Add the water and place a lid on the pot. Cook in a preheated cool oven (Mk 2 - 300ºF - 150ºC) for 2 hours.
  3. After 2 hours turn the oven up to hot (Mk 7 - 425ºF - 220ºC) and cook for a further one hour. Remove from the oven and crumble two beef stock cubes into the pot. Stir well to mix. Mix the cornflour with about 3-4 tablespoons of warm water, add to the pot and stir again (this will help thicken the 'gravy' in the pan). Return the pot to the hot oven and cook for a further one hour (or until you can twist a fork in the joint and the meat comes away easily).
  4. There's no way you want to take a carving knife to this joint. The meat is so tender that you simply need to take the lamb to the table and pull the meat away with a fork and a spoon as you serve it. Just provide a dish of Creamed Potatoes or Irish Style Champ to soak up the gravy!