Recipe 9: Grassroot Irish Stew

Its hard to believe its summer. Another chilly day of 18c, when usually at this time of year average temperatures usually are about 31c!
Was completely stumped as to what I should make for dinner tonight, with the little one being grizzly I just didn't have time to sit around cooking something complex- I needed something fast.
So I hit the library in my study where all the recipe books I have collected over the years, but have done nothing with, lie gathering cobwebs. Rummaging through I found a couple of recipe books which I am sure will come in handy in the coming months- nothing like a one pot recipe which I can put in the slow-cooker and leave for a few hours whilst dealing with the little man!
I found this recipe through "Slow Cooker" by Sally Wise 

Grassroot Irish Stew

700g potatoes

2 onions

500g lean diced lamb

1 tsp salt

3 tsp cornflour (optional)

METHOD

1. Peel the potatoes and cut into 3cm chunks (although mine are slightly larger) Peel and dice onion. Put both into slowcooker
2. Place the lamb on top of the potatoes and sprinkle with salt. Add also 3/4 cup of water
3. Cook on high for 5 hours or on low for 8/9 hours
4. When ready for serving, add 3 tsp of cornflour (have worked out that if you add cornflour with a bit of water to make a paste and then add to the slowcooker so the cornflour doesn't become lumpy) to thicken up the stew juices.

The Result: My husband has asked for me to please stop cooking from this recipe book! Although I followed the recipe exactly, it was bland and tasteless "ruined really good lamb" as my husband says. If I am ever to do this recipe again, I need to add a bit of stock, or a tsp of vegemite to add a bit of flavour. Perhaps even half the amount of potatoes so we can have some mashed on the side. A really depressing outcome, considering how beautiful the lamb was cooked. : (