Cawl

Cawl is welsh for soup broth, but I think of it more as a stew but that is probably because I am English. It normally contains meat and vegetables in a thin and rich tasting stock .

Now it is said that the son of Llywelyn ap Seisyll , Gruffydd ap Llywelyn was a very lazy young man who was to be king but on the death of his farther he had lost most of his kingdom.  His sister who had had enough of him threw him out of her house and it was while he was leaning on the wall of the house he heard a cook complain about the dish of cawl that she was cooking that one piece of meat kept floating back to the top every time she pushed it down.  He took this to mean him self changed his ways and soon was king of all of Wales. It is also said that the welsh gwneud cawl means to make a mess of things and no doubt I have with some of the welsh spelling so I am sorry if I have. And with that let’s get to the recipe.

You will need

1kg/2lb 3oz neck of lamb 

2 litres/3 pints 10½fl oz lamb stock or water.

225g/8oz potatoes

225g/8oz onions

225g/8oz leeks

225g/8oz carrots

225g/8oz swede

A little fresh parsley

Now what you want is your lamb on the bone if you can get it . This way it will make its own stock as you cook the dish.  But if you have some lamb bones just boil them up and make a stock from them. Peeled, chopped,  trim all the vegetables so that they are in  2cm/1in dices.

Now get a large pan, place the lamb in to the pot, and cover with the water or stock.  Bring this to the boil then simmer for about 1 hour. Now add all the vegetables and cook for another hour . Now remove from the stove, cover, and leave it to cool over night.

When you are ready to serve put on the heat and bring to the boil and let it simmer for about 5 to 10 minutes so it heat threw then add some fresh parsley if you have it at the end.  Serve in large bowls with a good slab of real crusty bread.