Catalan-style braised lamb with tomatoes, olives and rosemary

Serves - 4 to 6

You’ll need

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1.2–1.5kg lamb shoulder, cut into large chunks
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 2 carrots, cut into thick slices
• 1 red pepper, finely sliced
• 2 tbsp tomato purée
• 1 x 400g tin chopped tomatoes
• 150ml red wine
• 300ml lamb or chicken stock
• 2 rosemary sprigs
• 100g black or green olives
• 1 tsp red wine vinegar
• Small handful flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped
• Sea salt
• Black pepper

Method

1. Brown the lamb properly

Heat 1 tbsp of the olive oil in a large casserole over a medium-high heat. Season the lamb well with salt and black pepper, then brown it in batches until it has taken on some proper colour. Do not crowd the pan or it will steam and sulk rather than do anything especially useful. Once browned, lift it out onto a plate and set aside.

2. Start the base

Add the remaining olive oil to the pan, then add the onion, carrots and red pepper with a small pinch of salt. Cook over a medium heat for 8–10 minutes until softened and just starting to catch at the edges. Add the garlic and cook for another minute, just until fragrant and heading in the right direction.

3. Build the braise

Stir in the tomato purée and let it cook for a minute or two so it loses that raw edge. Pour in the red wine and let it bubble for 2–3 minutes, scraping up anything caught on the bottom of the pan. Add the chopped tomatoes, stock and rosemary, then return the lamb to the casserole along with any resting juices.

4. Cook low and slow

Bring everything up to a gentle simmer, cover with a lid and transfer to a 160°C fan oven. Cook for 2 to 2½ hours, stirring once or twice during cooking, until the lamb is deeply tender and the sauce has thickened nicely. It should feel rich and spoonable, not thin and apologetic.

5. Add the olives

Stir in the olives and cook for another 15 minutes uncovered. This gives them time to settle into the sauce without losing themselves entirely. Add the red wine vinegar and have a taste. It should lift and sharpen the braise slightly rather than making itself too obvious.

6. Finish properly

Remove the rosemary stalks, then stir through most of the parsley. Give it one final taste and adjust with a little more salt or black pepper if needed. The whole thing should feel rich, savoury and gently sun-soaked, with the olives cutting through the sweetness of the tomatoes very nicely.

7. Serve

Spoon the braised lamb into warm bowls or onto plates and scatter over the remaining parsley. Very good with roast potatoes, creamy mash, soft polenta or simply some good bread to catch the sauce.

A couple of helpful notes
- Lamb shoulder is especially good here because it becomes wonderfully tender with slow cooking, but neck fillet or leg cut into chunks will also do the job nicely.
- Go a little carefully with the salt until the end, as the olives will bring their own savoury edge to the pan.
- Like many braises, this is often even better the next day, which is useful if you are cooking ahead rather than trying to do everything at once.