Wales

Wales (#45) Welsh Cawl (Lamb and Leek Stew)

 
Cawl is the national dish of Wales.  It is traditionally made with lamb but is also made with beef.  Since this blog has been all about exploring new and different cuisines from around the world, I decided to cook this with lamb.  The lamb shank is browned in bacon fat and cooked with onions, leeks, carrots, and swedes.   What are swedes?  I didn’t know, but a quick google search revealed that they’re Swedish turnips also known as rutabagas.  The lamb and vegetables are covered with cold water and simmered along with a bay leaf and a few thyme sprigs for several hours.  Traditionally, the broth is eaten as a first course, then the lamb and vegetables are eaten as the main course.  I served this with a plate of Coastal British cheddar imported from Ford Farm in the UK.  Here is the website for cheese lovers. http://www.fordfarm.com/default.aspx?p=cheesecoastal.  This was a nice Sunday dinner and would be especially good on a chilly day.