Ingredients

2 tablespoons vegetable oil or unsalted butter
2 medium onions, chopped
3 pounds boneless lamb stew meat, cut into 1-inch cubes, or 3 pounds lamb shoulder chops
2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves, or 3/4 teaspoon dried thyme
Salt and ground black pepper to taste
2 medium boiling potatoes, peeled and sliced
3 cups chicken stock or water
1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
4 medium potatoes, peeled and halved
8 medium carrots, peeled and cut diagonally into 1/2 slices
1/4 cup pearl barley
1/4 cup heavy cream
Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

Directions

Heat the oil or butter in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Add chopped onions and cook, without browning, until softened. Stir in the lamb, thyme, salt and pepper; add sliced potatoes, chicken stock or water and Worcestershire sauce. Top with potato halves. Cover tightly and bake for 1 hour. Remove from the oven and add, stirring, the carrots, barley and heavy cream. Cover and return to the oven. Bake until the meat is fork-tender and barley is softened, 45 to 60 minutes more. Season with salt and pepper to taste and sprinkle with chopped fresh parsley. Recipe from: "The All New All Purpose Joy of Cooking" (Scribner $30) by Irma S. Rombauer, Marion Rombauer Becker and Ethan Becker.