Welsh Lamb Cornbread Cobbler

Serves	4 to 6
Prep time	20 minutes
Cook time	2 hours, 20 minutes
Total time	2 hours, 40 minutes
Allergy	Milk, Wheat
Meal type	Lunch, Main Dish
Misc	Child Friendly, Serve Hot
Occasion	Christmas, Halloween
Region	British
By author	Karen S Burns-Booth

A slightly kicked-up spicy lamb casserole using PGI Welsh Lamb with a baked cornbread cobbler topping, perfect for a Winter's Day!

Ingredients

Lamb Casserole

650g neck of Welsh Lamb, trimmed of fat and cut into chunks (Use neck fillets or boned neck of lamb chops)
2 tablespoons plain flour
25g butter
salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 medium onions, peeled and chopped
4 large carrots, peeled and diced
225g chopped plum tomatoes
300ml lamb stock (from a lamb stock cube)
1 teaspoon ground chilli powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teasppoon ground coriander

Cobbler Topping

150g self raising flour
125g cornmeal (or coarse polenta)
100g melted butter
220ml buttermilk (or skimmed milk)
salt and pepper to taste

Note

A slightly kicked-up spicy lamb casserole using PGI Welsh Lamb with a baked cornbread cobbler topping, perfect for a Winter's Day!

Directions

Step 1	Lamb Casserole: Toss the meat in the flour that has been seasoned with salt and pepper. Fry the meat in the butter (over a medium to high heat) in a large frying pan or skillet until browned, turning constantly. Remove the sealed browned meat and set aside.
Step 2	Add the onions, garlic and carrots to the same pan and fry for 5 to 7 minutes or until golden and coloured.
Step 3	Put the meat in to a suitable sized oven proof casserole dish or dutch oven, such as a cast iron Le Creuset. Add the fried vegetables, tinned chopped tomatoes, the lamb stock and the ground spices, mix well, cover with a lid and place into a pre-heated oven 170C/325F/Gas Mark 3 for 2 hours, or until the lamb is tender. (Can be cooked in a slow cooker, set the temperature to High and cook for 6 hours)
Step 4	Cornbread Cobbler Dumplings: Mix the flour with the cornmeal, salt and pepper in a mixing bowl. Stir in the melted butter and then add buttermilk VERY carefully and slowly - mixing in between, until the dumpling dough is soft, but not too sticky.
Step 5	Twenty minutes before the end of the 2 hours cooking time, take the casserole out of the oven, remove the lid and add the cornbread cobbler dumplings, drop them on top of the casserole. Do NOT replace the lid, continue to bake uncovered for a further 20 to 25 minutes or until cornbread cobbler dumplings have risen and are crusty, crispy and golden brown.
Step 6	Serve immediately with red kidney beans, sweet corn and tinned baby tomatoes for a Mexican inspired family meal. NB: The spices can be omitted to suit personal tastes, serve then with steamed cabbage and mashed potatoes.