Lamb Cobbler

Tessa, Leo and Dom’s mum, who started the business with Jan, was a whizz at making this recipe. From her own words “this is an outstanding, delicious winter dish, absolutely worth any scraps of energy put in to making it”. The casserole itself, uses diced lamb and smoked streaky bacon to create a melt in the mouth filler. The cobbler topping is like a cross between a herby scone and a dumpling, crispy on the outside and fluffy in the middle. This will feed 6 people. All it needs is some green veg to go with it.

What is cobbler?

This relates to the topping and can be used on any sweet or savoury filling. Possibly named after the cobble like effect when placing on top of the filling! It’s thought that when the British settled in America they could not find their usual suet and so created this variation. The first time it has appeared in a recipe book dates back to the 1830s. During World War Two, it became a staple for many diets and promoted as a cheaper version as the butter could be replaced with margarine but was still filling. We are thankful that we are not faced with those challenging times but inspired by the ingenuity of those before us.

Recipe

For the casserole:

For the topping:

Casserole Method:

Heat oven to 180C/fan 160C/gas 4. In a flameproof casserole, heat the oil, then sizzle the bacon for 5 mins until crisp. Turn up the heat, then cook the lamb for 10 mins until brown. Remove meats with a slotted spoon, turn the heat up to maximum, then add the onions, carrots and mushrooms. Cook for about 5 mins until starting to colour, then stir in the flour. Return the meat to the pan with the herbs, and pour over the wine, stock and Worcestershire sauce. Season, then cover and braise in the oven, undisturbed, for about 1 hr 20 mins.  You can also cook this on the stove top, simmering at the lowest setting for 1 hr 20 minutes.

Cobbler topping Method

After about 1 hr, make the topping. Tip the flour and herbs into a large bowl, then season with salt and pepper. Add the butter and mix using a fork. Make a well, then add the lemon juice and 3 tbsp water. Gently bring together to make a soft dough. Roll out on a lightly floured surface to about 1.5cm thick, then cut into rounds using a 7.5cm pastry cutter or a tumbler. Re-roll the trimmings, then cut out more rounds until the dough is used up. After 1 hr 20 mins, take the casserole from the oven, remove the lid, then arrange the circles of dough, overlapping, around the edge of the dish, sticking bay leaves between them. Brush with egg and bake for 45 mins until golden.

This recipe was created by Barney Desmazery