Alsion Argument from Llanfair Caereinion shares a family secret:

"I make this delicious lamb broth in the same way as my Grandmother would have. It is a dish which was served in our family each Thursday, although we felt that it was always better on Friday if there was any left as the vegetable had become a bit mushy and absorbed the lovely juice. It is not quick to make properly but it is very simple.

You will need a piece of lamb - usually shoulder or breast (whichever is cheapest). Cover the lamb with water and add a whole onion, roughly chopped, some peppercorns (about six) and a little salt.

Bring the water to the boil and then allow to simmer until the meat falls easily off the bone. This will take up to a couple of hours.

Remove the lamb from the water and strain the stock that is left. When the lamb is cooled a little, remove all the meat from the bone and discard the bone and any excess fat. Cut or break the meat into bite size pieces.

Allow the stock to cool and skim off the excess fat, if you wish (you can also do this by leaving the stock overnight and this will leave a hard fat covering on the top which can be removed in one piece.

The vegetables you will need are a small swede, two or three parsnips, three or four carrots, three or four large potatoes and about two or three large leeks.

Clean and prepare the vegetables and chop into decent size chunks (not too small - you are making a stew rather than a fine soup).

Now you will need to melt some butter in large pan (O.K. - so this is not a low cholesterol dish!) and start by softening the vegetables in the butter. If you start with the firm vegetables like swede and carrot and leave them to fry for a little while before adding the parsnip, potato.

Add the leeks when the rest of the vegetables are nice and buttery and starting to soften. Then add back in your strained lamb stock and the lamb chunks.

You may need to add a little extra water - just make sure the vegetables are covered at all times. Bring to the boil again and simmer for about one hour until the vegetables are cooked.

The only other seasoning you will need is a handful of chopped parsley and you might like to adjust the salt and pepper content at the end.

Serve the stew piping hot with some freshly ground pepper and a good chunk of crusty bread and maybe a piece of good cheddar cheese."

By Alyson Argument from Llanfair Caereinion