Ingredients
- 1.5kg lamb shoulder or leg, boned
- 200ml red wine
- 2 rosemary sprigs
- 2 garlic cloves, bruised
- 4 tbsp olive oil
- 2 onions, halved and finely sliced
- 2 carrots, sliced
- 2 celery stalks, sliced
- 2 garlic cloves, crushed
- 350ml water or stock
- 2 anchovy fillets
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 2 bay leaves or 4 sage leaves
- salt and pepper
- pecorino or parmigiano for shaving
- 50g wild rocket leaves
Method
My favourite sort of lamb stew, cooked long and slow and freshened with a handful of rocket leaves just before serving.
Cut the meat into 3cm cubes and marinate in the wine, rosemary and garlic for 1 hour. Drain, reserving the wine.
Heat the oven to 170C. Heat half the oil in a heavy-lidded ovenproof pan and cook the onion, carrot and celery for 10 minutes. Remove from the pan, add remaining oil and brown the meat in small batches.
Add the wine to the pan and boil for 2 minutes to reduce. Return the lamb and vegetables to the pan, add the water or stock, anchovy fillets, tomato paste, bay leaves, salt and pepper and bring to the boil.
Cover tightly and bake for 90 minutes to 2 hours until the lamb is fork-tender, getting in and stirring once or twice. Ladle onto warm dinner plates, scatter with pecorino shavings and rocket leaves, and serve.
