Scotch Broth

Serves 6

1.25kg middle neck chops
85g pearl barley
2 tsp bouquet garni
salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 medium carrots, diced
1 medium swede, diced
1 leek, washed well and chopped
2 tbsp parsley, chopped

Trim any excess fat from the lamb bones and put in a large pot with the pearl barley and bouquet garni, season well. Pour in about 2 litres of water. Bring to the boil and allow to simmer for about an hour. Skim off any scum that rises to the surface. Add the carrot, swede and leek, adding more water if necessary, return to the boil and simmer for another 30 minutes or until the vegetables are tender. Remove from the heat and fish the bones out of the pan. Take the meat off the bones and cut into small pieces, return to the pan. At this point you can cool and refrigerate the soup. When cold remove the solidified fat before reheating. If you want to serve now scoop off any excess fat and check for seasoning. Ladle into bowls, sprinkle over the parsley and serve with crusty bread.