Serves 6
4 tbsp rapeseed oil
3 leeks, ends trimmed, sliced
into 2cm slices
Small handful of fresh thyme
2 bay leaves
600g hogget leg, diced (ideally
British and grass fed)
2 heaped tbsp plain flour
300ml good quality dark ale
250g chantenay carrots
1 parsnip, grated
100g rye berries, also known
as whole rye grain kernels (available
in Holland and Barrett, other health
food shops, and online)
500ml vegetable stock1 Preheat the oven to 150C/Fan 130/
Gas 2. Heat half the oil in a large frying
pan or skillet over a high heat. Once
hot, drop the heat to low/med and
gently fry the leeks until they start to
turn golden. Add the thyme and bay,
cook for a further 1 min. Transfer
to a casserole pot or slow cooker.
2 Add the hogget and flour to a bowl,
season, and toss thoroughly.
3 Add a little more oil to the pan and
heat up. Brown the hogget in batches,
then transfer to the pot with the leeks.
While pan is still hot, pour in the ale
and let the alcohol burn off for 1 min,
scraping up any sticky bits left by the
hogget. Pour the liquid into the pot.Hogget stew with
rye berries and
spring vegetablesHogget has a fuller f lavour than
lamb and is ideal for a spring stew
with a rich, full f lavour that will
have you going back for seconds4 Add the rest of the ingredients to
the casserole. Give it a good stir, place
lid on top and cook for 4 hrs and 30
mins (if using a slow cooker, cook on
high for 5 hrs), stirring occasionally.
5 Serve with the wild garlic gremolata
(next page).SPRING LAMB OR HOGGET?
Most lamb, at this time of year
in the UK, is imported from
New Zealand, adding air miles
to your meals. Hogget (meat
from a sheep over 12 months
old) has a fuller flavour as it’s
had more time to chomp on
clovers and heather as it ranges
freely. If not imported, UK
spring lamb often sees the
animal fattened up indoors on
feed rather than grass, so seek
out farm shops that sell hogget
or mutton (sheep over two
years old) direct for the best
prices and choicest cuts.Serves 6
4 tbsp rapeseed oil
3 leeks, ends trimmed, sliced
into 2cm slices
Small handful of fresh thyme
2 bay leaves
600g hogget leg, diced (ideally
British and grass fed)
2 heaped tbsp plain flour
300ml good quality dark ale
250g chantenay carrots
1 parsnip, grated
100g rye berries, also known
as whole rye grain kernels (available
in Holland and Barrett, other health
food shops, and online)
500ml vegetable stock
1 Preheat the oven to 150C/Fan 130/
Gas 2. Heat half the oil in a large frying
pan or skillet over a high heat. Once
hot, drop the heat to low/med and
gently fry the leeks until they start to
turn golden. Add the thyme and bay,
cook for a further 1 min. Transfer
to a casserole pot or slow cooker.
2 Add the hogget and flour to a bowl,
season, and toss thoroughly.
3 Add a little more oil to the pan and
heat up. Brown the hogget in batches,
then transfer to the pot with the leeks.
While pan is still hot, pour in the ale
and let the alcohol burn off for 1 min,
scraping up any sticky bits left by the
hogget. Pour the liquid into the pot.
Hogget stew with
rye berries and
spring vegetables
Hogget has a fuller f lavour than
lamb and is ideal for a spring stew
with a rich, full f lavour that will
have you going back for seconds
4 Add the rest of the ingredients to
the casserole. Give it a good stir, place
lid on top and cook for 4 hrs and 30
mins (if using a slow cooker, cook on
high for 5 hrs), stirring occasionally.
5 Serve with the wild garlic gremolata
(next page).SPRING LAMB OR HOGGET?
Most lamb, at this time of year
in the UK, is imported from
New Zealand, adding air miles
to your meals. Hogget (meat
from a sheep over 12 months
old) has a fuller flavour as it’s
had more time to chomp on
clovers and heather as it ranges
freely. If not imported, UK
spring lamb often sees the
animal fattened up indoors on
feed rather than grass, so seek
out farm shops that sell hogget
or mutton (sheep over two
years old) direct for the best
prices and choicest cuts.