This is a recipe that I remember my now 101-year-old granny making me quite frequently when I would visit Scotland growing up. I had some lamb that was perfect for stewing, and the first thing that popped into my mind was cooking this lamb stew. Damn, I loved eating this so much. As always, I put a slight twist on it - she topped her version with choux pastry. I went with the easier and cheaper option of dumplings.
sponsored by Heirloom Vineyards, Mclaren Vale
Growing Up
I was always immersed in food. My father fished for salmon & trout, and my mum was always in the kitchen making marmalade, jams and hearty dishes with venison and pheasant that my dad would also shoot / trade salmon for with fellow hunters. It's no wonder that at the age of 11 I went to my first cooking class. There I was in some local woman's house, just me and 7 or 8 other girls. Gross!! At least that's what I thought at the time. I loved it though, so much so that I was soon cooking the family dinners on a regular basis!
Although when I look back upon it, I'm not sure if that's because I loved it so much or because it gave my parents an opportunity to do tonic "tastings" to see which paired best with their gin...........! FYI it's The Botanist or Edinburgh Gin with Fever Tree Mediterranean Tonic!!
My Cooking Journey
It wasn't just my mum & dad that got me interested in cooking. My aunt Moira, Mum's sister, gave me my 1st cookbook, appropriately titled just that! You would find me in the kitchen making mini quiches, pizzas, chocolate truffles, rice pudding, steamed pudding with golden syrup and many other things. Hold on, now that I list them off now, damn my folks did well!
My grandfather on my mum's side was also a great influence on me. We used to take walks to his bees (he was a beekeeper if you didn't already guess) and on the way, I always remember him jumping a wall that at the time looked about 50 feet high and out he would pop with a handful of spinach. Cue the teasing about my little "bird eggs" for muscles and how I needed my spinach to be like Popeye.
On my father's side of the family, there was always, and I mean ALWAYS something being cooked or baked. They were those grandparents who always had bread, scones, shortbread and some sort of pie/stew on the go. I always remember flying from Dublin to Edinburgh, staying with them and eating my body weight in my Papa's bread. My returning luggage allowance was usually filled with more bread and whatever sweets I could sneak out of the Pantry!
Ingredients Needed
Making this Scottish lamb stew is super simple, but more importantly, it can be made with ingredients that are typically in every fridge, pantry or grocery store so don't be afraid!
- lamb - use shoulder or leg for this one, cut into bite-sized cubes
- vegetables - hearty root veg for stew! Turnips, carrots, onions and a few mushrooms at the end.
- liquids - delicious UrbanForager vegetable stock and fresh orange juice
- herbs & spices - garlic (as much as you like!), bay leaf, s&p, rosemary (but dried herbs will also work)
- other - tomato paste & flour
For the dumplings, it's simply
- flour
- milk
- butter
- parsley (optional)
As you can see these are all ingredients that any/all supermarket will carry so why not head to the shops, grab them and whip yourself up a deliciously simple Scottish lamb stew!
How To Make Scottish Lamb Stew
As previously stated, making this stew is really simple! It's loved by all the family and it freezes great too (minus the dumplings) so it's a real winner for cooler weather or just when you want a bowl of comfort food.
Follow these simple steps below and you are on your way to a bowl of deliciousness. Full recipe in menu card below!
- Open and pour a glass of Heirloom Shiraz
- Gather all your ingredients - being organised is half the battle when cooking
- Sear the lamb - do this in batches, so you don't overcrowd the pan
- Remove the lamb and cook the vegetables for a few minutes (add the tomato paste and herbs too).
- Add the liquids and cook
- With 20mins to go add your dumpling mixture and cook
Job done - now you can bask in the glory of the delicious Scottish lamb stew you made and thank my 101-year-old Gran for the recipe 😉
Wine Pairing
What's dinner without wine? Yep, it's called breakfast! For this delicious bowl of pure comfort food, I have paired it with another cracker from Heirloom Vineyards in Mclaren Vale. Their pinot is still one of my favourite pinots EVER, but I tell you what - for this price, it'd be rude not to have a 6 pack of their Barossa shiraz in the cellar to age 😉
It's a young wine, although I have been told back vintages are available, so it'll definitely improve with age or time to breathe. But you can tell there is class and sophistication in the glass. Beautiful and intense dark purple colours with the nose offering tons of blackberry, spices in the form of cinnamon and nutmeg along with a little cocoa notes too. The palate is what you would expect from a Barossa shiraz but for this price, I wouldn't of expected this quality. Blackberries, plums, chocolate, savoury and spicy notes with lovely acidity and punchy little tannins. A glass of this, a bowl of Scottish lamb stew = happiness!
Alternative Lamb Recipes
Inspired by my stew and need to have more lamb dishes on the go? Check out these ones and enjoy!
Grilled Lamb Chops, Harissa & Labneh
Slow Cooked Moroccan Lamb, Cous Cous & Pomegranate Dressing
Smoked Lamb Shanks, Polenta & Anchovy Dressing
Lamb Mince Ragu, Fennel & Orange Salsa
Happy Cooking & Happy Eating Friends!
If you like this lamb stew and make it I'd love to see your pictures so I can show my Granny and put a huge smile on a 101-year-olds face. Tag me @another_food_blogger or pin me on pinterest don't forget the most important thing and subscribe to stay in touch.
Ingredients
Stew
- 1 kg shoulder, collarbutt or leg cut in 1" cubes
- 200 g carrots (approx 2 large) diced
- 1 white onion diced
- 200 g turnip diced
- 8 mushrooms cut inhalf
- 2 tbsp flour
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 bayleaf
- 2 garlic cloves crushed
- 350 ml orange juice
- 500 ml vegetable stock
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- salt
- pepper
Dumplings
- 2 tbsp parsley chopped
- 1.25 cups self raising flour
- 60 g cold butter cubed
- 1/2 cup milk
Essential Tools
- dutch oven or large heavy based sauce pan
- chopping baord
- Chef Knives
- Measuring utensils
- mixing bowl
Instructions
- Season meat and sear in dutch oven on medium to high heat, approx 5 mins. *see tip*
- Remove meat and leave on clean plate.
- Cook vegetables (except mushrooms) on medium heat for 2 - 3 mins
- Add meat and juices back to pot.
- Add flour and tomato paste, stir and cook for a further 2 - 3 mins.
- Add orange juice, stock, bayleaf & thyme to pot. Cover and cook on low for 1.5hrs until lamb is tender.
- Add in button mushrooms and spoon dumpling batter on top. Cover and cook for another 20 mins on low until dumplings are cooked *see tip*
Dumplings
- Place flour in mixing bowl and using your fingers rub in butter until mixture resembles fine bread crumbs.
- Make a well in center and pour in milk & parsley.3. Stir in gently and then spoon into stew. *see tip*
Notes
Tips/Tricks
- when cooking lamb don't crowd the pan, best to cook in batches. If you put too much in the pan it won't get a nice sear on it and will just look grey
- to test if dumplings are cooked stick a skewer in them, the skewer should come out clean
- if making dumplings for something different you can cook them in just a saucepan of stock
- the stew will keep in the fridge for 3 - 4 days. When reheating it do so on a low heat with a lid on. The steam will moisten up the dumplings again
- stew freezes great, just follow the instructions above to reheat it
When I was touring Scotland a few years ago, I was served the most delicious lamb stew at a restaurant. So tender and robust. I've been looking for that unique blend of flavours ever since. Your recipe is very similar and just as wonderful! I wasn't sure 350 ml orange juice would work, but it was perfect, and so was the choice of vegetables. Thanks for sharing your gran's recipe. I plan to make it again and again.
Oh my gosh it has definately become a firm favourite in our family from the beginning. I looked up this recipe because my pop of 94 years of age was going on about a dish his grandma used to cook in the 30's Scottish Brae. It is so delish and I added 1/2 cup of cooked barley to the recipe and served on mash tatties
yummo .
Sam - thanks so much for the kind words and so glad you and your family enjoy the dish. Snap a pic and send it next time 😉