Braised lamb with rosemary and garlic

Serves - 4 to 6

You’ll need

• 1.5–1.8kg lamb shoulder, bone-in or boneless
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 2 carrots, cut into thick slices
• 2 celery sticks, cut into thick slices
• 6 garlic cloves, peeled and lightly crushed
• 2 rosemary sprigs
• 150ml dry white wine or red wine
• 500ml lamb or chicken stock
• 2 tbsp tomato purée
• 2 bay leaves
• Sea salt
• Black pepper

Method

1. Get the lamb started

Heat the oven to 160°C fan. Pat the lamb dry with kitchen paper and season it well all over with salt and black pepper. Heat the olive oil in a large casserole dish over a medium-high heat, then brown the lamb on all sides until it has taken on some good colour. Do not rush this bit – a bit of proper browning now pays you back later.

2. Build the base

Lift the lamb out onto a plate for a moment. Turn the heat down slightly, then add the onion, carrots and celery to the pan with a pinch of salt. Cook for 8–10 minutes until softened and just starting to catch. Add the garlic, rosemary and tomato purée, then cook for another minute or two until everything smells like it is heading in the right direction.

3. Add the liquid

Pour in the wine and let it bubble for a couple of minutes, scraping up anything caught on the bottom of the pan. Add the stock and bay leaves, then return the lamb to the dish. The liquid should come about halfway up the meat – enough to braise it gently, not drown it.

4. Cook low and slow

Cover with a lid and transfer to the oven for 3–3½ hours, turning the lamb once or twice during cooking, until it is deeply tender and coming away easily when nudged with a spoon. If it still feels a bit stubborn, give it another 20–30 minutes. Lamb shoulder is not interested in being hurried.

5. Finish properly

Lift the lamb out carefully and set it aside to rest for 10–15 minutes. Remove the rosemary stalks and bay leaves from the sauce, then skim off any excess fat if needed. If the sauce looks a little thin, put the casserole back on the hob and let it bubble away for a few minutes until it has reduced slightly.

6. Serve

Shred or carve the lamb into generous pieces and spoon over some of the sauce and vegetables. Serve with mashed potatoes, soft polenta or something capable of catching all the good bits. Finish with a final grind of black pepper and take it to the table while it still looks like it means business.

A couple of helpful notes

- Lamb shoulder is ideal here because it has enough fat and connective tissue to become wonderfully tender without drying out.
- White wine keeps things lighter, while red wine gives the sauce a deeper, darker edge – both work perfectly well.
- This is often even better the next day, which is useful if you are planning ahead rather than pretending leftovers never happen.