Irish Stew - cooking recipe

Ingredients

1 3/4 lb. mutton (neck, shank or shoulder)
4 onions
2 carrots
1 3/4 lb. cabbage
1 lb. potatoes
1 3/4 lb. thinly sliced bacon
salt and pepper
1 bay leaf
2 tsp. cumin seed

Preparation

Trim fat from mutton and cut meat into pieces.
Put into a saucepan and add just enough water to cover meat. Cook, covered, 1 1/2 hours on medium heat. Cut onions into quarters. Cut carrots and cabbage into strips and quarter the potatoes. Cover the bottom of a large heatproof casserole with slices of bacon. Cover with alternate layers of mutton, onions, carrots, cabbage and potatoes. Season layers with remaining ingredients.
Pour over all enough mutton broth to barely cover the top layer.
Bring to a boil. Cover tightly and simmer 20 to 30 minutes or until meat and vegetables are tender. Sprinkle with parsley, if desired.
Yields 4 to 6 servings.