New verse by Devonport writer Kevin Ireland.

 

Lamb stew with bonus

 

Gently fry tomatoes and green peppers. Toss them in a casserole.

Use olive oil, not butter. Flavour them with home-cured bacon,

and throw in plenty of shallots – they’re better halved or whole.

 

Don’t forget turmeric, herbs, black pepper, and, of course, some salt.

Add a dollop of tomato puree mixed with a lavish slug of wine

and a touch of cornflour in some stock. It’s entirely your own own fault

 

if you ruin it with mushrooms. Now simply flop the butterflied leg

of lamb onto the bed you have so lovingly prepared, then top

the lot with stalks of rosemary and thyme and grate some nutmeg

 

on it all – just enough to add exotic hints of mystery to the stew.

Then shove the dish into a gentle oven and forget about it till it falls

apart. Meanwhile, drink whatever wine’s left over. I always do.

 

Kevin Ireland, 2018

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