Slow cooker Irish stew

Instructions

1 Lamb knuckles are less expensive than shanks (which used to be cheap!). Knuckles are not ‘Frenched’ – in other words, they haven’t been neatly trimmed of all fat and sinew by the butcher before you buy them. They do have plenty of meat though. Grilling them quickly before cooking releases some of the fat, meaning less to skim off at the end.

2 Preheat the grill and place the knuckles on a rack in the middle of the oven and grill for a few minutes, turning once or twice to release some of the fat.

3 Place the vegetables into a plastic bag with the flour, give it a good shake around then arrange half the prepared vegetables in the bottom of the slow cooker, add the knuckles and pile on the remainder of the vegetables, sprinkling in the garlic as you go.

4 Add the salt, pepper, rosemary and stock and cook on high for 6-7 hours or on low for 8-9 hours. When cooked, discard the bones, then allow the liquid to settle and skim the fat off the top with a long-handled spoon.

5 Sprinkle with chopped parsley and serve piping hot with green vegetables, or enjoy as is.