Simple Irish Stew - cooking recipe

Ingredients

2 1/2 lbs boned mutton (lamb) or 2 1/2 lbs boned lamb
4 large potatoes
2 large onions
4 medium carrots
1 sprig fresh parsley
2 cups water
salt
pepper

Preparation

Cut the meat into good size chunks.
Peel the vegetables and slice thickly.
Chop the parsley.
Choose a pot with a well-fitting lid and put in the ingredients in layers, starting and finishing with potatoes.
Pour in the water and season to taste.
Cover and put on a very low heat for about 2 1/2 hours until the meat is tender and the potatoes have thickened the liquid.
The dish may also be made with lamb, in which case it requires only 1 1/2 hours cooking time.
I prefer to make this in a crock pot and let cook all day or over night, it lets the flavors blend extra well.
If using mutton let cook on low for 8 hours, with lamb only 5 hours will make an excellent stew.