Tender pieces of succulent lamb with chunky vegetables and rich gravy swimming in a bread “cauldron”. A perfect Halloween lamb stew recipe for your witches and wizards! This easy recipe includes pressure cooker, stovetop and slow cooker instructions.
I am so excited to share this recipe with you! I may have mentioned it once or twice before, on the blog, but I absolutely love Halloween. I love playing with my food too, so I’m thrilled to be sharing this spooky Halloween recipe with you!
Regular readers will remember that over the last few years I worked with Tasty, Easy Lamb, bringing you delicious and easy lamb recipes on a regular basis. I’m pleased to tell you that they’ve re-branded and are now known as Try Lamb, and I’m delighted to be working with them again. Over the coming months, I’ll be bringing you a series of new, exciting lamb recipes including this Halloween lamb with ale stew served in a bread “cauldron”.
This is a perfect Halloween recipe for any witches and wizards you may be entertaining this Halloween. I made my rye and caraway seed giant bread rolls with some cuttlefish ink to turn it black, a proper witches cauldron, but you could easily pick up some of your favourite bread rolls in your local bakery or supermarket. Something dark and wholegrain would really compliment this recipe well.
I’ve given three different methods to prepare this stew too. I’ve recently added a pressure cooker to my kitchen equipment and I’m loving it – this stew only took 15 minutes to cook in it, and the meat was incredibly tender and delicious. You could also cook it on the stove top, or in your slow cooker too.
INGREDIENTS NEEDED FOR THIS LAMB AND ALE STEW IN A BREAD “CAULDRON”
- cubed lamb shoulder – look out for this in your local supermarket, or ask your butcher to cut some
- dark ale – I used a locally brewed oatmeal stout
- butter
- sunflower oil
- baby or button onions left whole – I like the spooky witches’ brew effect they create floating in the stew
- carrots – I used a heritage variety from my veg box
- lamb stock – I use Knorr stock pots if I don’t have any homemade stock on hand
- plain flour – for dredging the lamb
- salt & pepper
- tomato puree
- Worcestershire sauce
- a bouquet garni sachet
- large bread rolls – I made homemade rye and caraway rolls coloured with cuttlefish ink
HOW TO MAKE LAMB AND ALE STEW IN A BREAD “CAULDRON”
Step 1: dredge the cubed lamb shoulder with flour seasoned with salt and pepper.
Step 2: peel and cut carrots into pieces.
Step 3: peel button onions but leave them whole.
Step 4: heat butter and sunflower oil and brown the meat on all sides for five minutes.
Step 5: add the remaining ingredients, except for the bread, and cook either in a pressure cooker, slow cooker or on the stove top.
Step 6: hollow out four large bread rolls and fill with the hot stew. Serve immediately.
Recipe Difficulty Levels
Easy
Requires basic cooking skills and ingredients you most likely already have in your kitchen.
Moderate
Requires more experience, preparation and/or cooking time. You may have to source special ingredients.
Challenging
Recipes requiring more advanced skills and experience and maybe some special equipment.
Halloween Lamb and Ale Stew in a Bread “Cauldron”
Ingredients
- 500 grams cubed lamb shoulder
- 50 grams plain flour
- Shetland sea salt
- freshly ground black pepper
- 2 tbsp butter
- 2 tbsp sunflower oil
- 250 grams button onions peeled and left whole
- 3 large carrots diced
- 500 ml lamb stock
- 200 ml dark ale
- 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tbsp tomato puree
- 1 bouquet garni
- 4 large bread rolls
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Instructions
Pressure Cooker Instructions
- Dredge the cubed lamb shoulder in half the flour, seasoned with salt and pepper.
- Place the butter and sunflower oil in the cooking bowl of your pressure cooker and select BROWN/SAUTE. Set the timer for five minutes.
- Brown the dredged lamb shoulder.
- Add the remaining ingredients, except for the bread, and stir well.
- Seal the lid, set pressure to HIGH and set the timer for 15 minutes.
- Allow the pressure cooker to depressurise for 10 minutes before removing the lid.
- Dissolve the remaining flour in a little water and thicken the stew, as desired. You may need a little extra flour to get it to your preferred consistency.
- Carefully cut the tops off of four large bread rolls and scoop out the insides, leaving a thick crust.
- Fill the bread rolls with stew and serve immediately.
Stove Top Method
- Heat the butter and oil in a large stew pot over a medium-high heat and brown the dredged, seasoned lamb shoulder for five minutes.
- Add the remaining ingredients, except for the bread, turn the heat down to medium/low and slow cook, with the lid on, for two hours.
Slow Cooker Method
- Heat the butter and oil in a saute pan over a medium high heat and brown the dredged, seasoned lamb shoulder for five minutes.
- Add the lamb, and all the remaining ingredients (except for the bread), to a slow cooker. Pop the lid on and select LOW for 6-8 hours.
- One year ago: Luxury Eggs Benedict with Smoked Salmon & Tobiko
- Two years ago: Beer Glazed Roast Iron Age Pork Sausages
- Three years ago: Chocolate Hazelnut Layer Cake
- Four years ago: Shetland Beef & Valhalla Ale Slow Cooker Pie
- Five years ago: Nanaimo Bars – Canada’s National Confection
- Six years ago: Roasted Shetland Black Potatoes with Rosemary & Sea Salt
PIN THIS HALLOWEEN STEW RECIPE FOR LATER
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Ooooh, I LOVE the cauldron idea! How cute 🙂 I have actually had a similar dish served like this when I was in Iceland – it was delicious! I will have to try this one x
This is so clever! It looks really effective and so tasty – perfect for autumn. Love your collection of Pins too, what a good idea to do lots in different styles. 🙂
Ooh wow, this looks fabulous and super spooky too. That bread cauldron is such a clever idea and I adore this way of serving stew.
Loving the black cauldron bread rolls, so inventive! What a delicious way to serve a lamb stew. It’s great you have instructions for slow cooker and instant pot too, I really love a slow cooked stew but must try my IP out one of these days.
What a fab Halloween recipe! I’ll have to give this a try next year x
This certainly sounds right up my street and it looks amazing too. I have seen a few recipes now using bread as the bowl, such an ingenious idea.
I love serving food in a bread bowl, and this cauldron is just brilliant. It looks amazing, and is an ideal supper to get you warmed up after being out and about.
That bread looks incredible! and what a fun vehicle for a tasty lamb stew. Being welsh I adore lamb obviously!! Yum
Just WOW!! In terms of presentation this looks amazing. Also an ideal winter warmer too xx
OMG that looks amazing! So creative as well with the cauldron bun, I love it!! xxx
I love a good lamb stew and this looks hearty but healthy too. Great presentation Elizabeth!
What a fun idea Halloween! I know my kids would love to see this spooky dish on the dinner table! Your pin options are amazing!
This is all of my favourite things about Halloween in one dish! Spooky and delicious!
I am just drooling over this recipe! I absoltely love lamb, especially in a stew like this. And your photos make it even more appetizing!
This looks amazing!! I really love the cauldron, looks perfect!!!
That bread bowl is amazing – perfect for Halloween. This looks like such a comforting stew too.
What a great Halloween recipe, I think it fits the brief perfectly! Photos are moody and interesting too.