For a printable version of this recipe, click here.

The official National dish of Wales is ‘Cawl’ pronounced ‘cowl’. It is a stew made with lamb or beef, bacon, cabbage and leeks and other seasonal vegetables. The ingredients would differ from region to region and from season to season. Traditionally the broth from the stew would be served first and then the meat and vegetables. There is a saying associated with the stew: "Cystal yfed o'r cawl â bwyta's cig," which translates to "It is as good to drink the broth as to eat the meat." Cawl can be served with plain oatmeal dumplings or current dumplings called “Trollies” or homemade bread and Welsh cheese. Traditionally, it would be served in a wooden bowl with a carved wooden spoon.

Serves 6

Ingredients

• 2 lbs. lamb, middle neck or shoulder, or beef or a ham hock

• 1 onion, roughly chopped

• 6 medium potatoes – peeled and chopped

• 3 carrots – peeled and chopped

• 1 small swede (rutabaga) or 2 parsnips – peeled and chopped

• 2 leeks – washed and sliced (if out of season, use sliced green onions)

• 1 small bunch fresh parsley

• Vegetable stock

• Salt and pepper

Directions

1. Place the meat in a large saucepan, cover with water and bring to the boil. Simmer for 2-3 hours over a low heat. Leave overnight to cool and the following day skim off any fat that has risen to the surface and remove the bones (the meat should be tender enough to fall off the bone)

2. Add the potatoes, carrots, swede or parsnips and simmer until cooked. Add more vegetable stock if required at this point. Season with salt and pepper.

3. Finally add the shredded leeks and just before serving throw in the roughly chopped parsley. You can thicken the Cawl if required with a paste made with flour and water or fine oatmeal.

4. Serve with thickly sliced bread and mature Caerphilly cheese.