Welsh Cawl: Slow-Simmered Lamb, Leek and Root Vegetable Broth for Chilly Autumn Lunches

Season the lamb with salt and pepper. Heat the oil in a large heavy pot and brown the lamb on all sides in batches, about 8 minutes total.

Serves 6

Ingredients

• 2 pounds bone-in lamb neck or shoulder chops
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 10 cups cold water
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 3 medium carrots, peeled and cut into chunks
• 1 medium rutabaga (swede), peeled and cubed
• 2 medium parsnips, peeled and cut into chunks
• 4 medium potatoes, peeled and quartered
• 3 leeks, cleaned and sliced
• 2 bay leaves and 3 sprigs fresh thyme
• Salt and black pepper to taste
• 3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
• Crusty bread and a wedge of Caerphilly or sharp cheddar, for serving

Instructions

1. Season the lamb with salt and pepper. Heat the oil in a large heavy pot and brown the lamb on all sides in batches, about 8 minutes total.
2. Return all the lamb to the pot, cover with the cold water, add the bay leaves and thyme and bring slowly to a boil, skimming off any foam.
3. Reduce to a gentle simmer, cover partially and cook for 1 1/2 hours until the meat is very tender.
4. Lift out the lamb, let it cool slightly, then pull the meat from the bones in large pieces and discard the bones and excess fat. Skim the fat from the surface of the broth.
5. Add the onion, carrots, rutabaga and parsnips to the broth and simmer for 15 minutes.
6. Add the potatoes and two-thirds of the leeks and simmer for another 20 minutes until all the vegetables are tender.
7. Return the lamb to the pot along with the remaining leeks and simmer for 5 minutes so the last leeks stay bright green. Season well with salt and pepper.
8. Stir in the parsley and ladle into deep bowls. Serve with crusty bread and a wedge of cheese on the side.
9. Cawl is the national dish of Wales, a one-pot farmhouse broth that once simmered all week over the fire, with more vegetables and water added each day. Many Welsh families insist it tastes best on the second or third day, a style called cawl ail-dwym, meaning reheated cawl. It is traditionally eaten from wooden bowls with wooden spoons, with bread and cheese on the side, and the leek, the national emblem of Wales, is always the star.

Nutrition (estimated, per serving)

• Calories: 430 kcal
• Protein: 32g
• Fat: 16g
• Carbohydrates: 40g
• Fiber: 7g
• Sugar: 9g
• Sodium: 480mg