Italian braised lamb recipe

This hearty lamb casserole is slow-cooked with garlic, tomatoes and fresh herbs. Delicious!

Ingredients

• 4tbsp olive oil
• 900g (2lb) boneless shoulder of lamb, cut into chunks
• 225g (8oz) shallots, peeled and halved
• 2 celery stalks, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
• 400g can chopped tomatoes
• 2tbsp sun-dried tomato paste
• Few sprigs of fresh rosemary and oregano
• 300g (10oz) potatoes, peeled and cut into small cubes
• 2 courgettes, sliced
• Finely grated lemon rind
• Chopped parsley

Method

1. Preheat oven to 150°C (300°F, gas mark 3). Heat half the oil in a large frying pan and fry the lamb in batches over a high heat until browned all over, adding more oil as necessary. Remove with a slotted spoon to an ovenproof dish or casserole. Add shallots, celery and garlic to the pan and fry for 4-5 mins.
2. Stir in the chopped tomatoes. Blend the sun-dried tomato paste with 450ml (¾ pt) water. Pour into the pan and bring to the boil. Pour the tomato mixture over the lamb and mix well. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper and add the sprigs of fresh herbs.
3. Cover and cook in oven for 45 mins. Remove from the oven and stir in potatoes and courgettes. Return to oven and cook for a further 1hr to 1 hr 15 mins until lamb and potatoes are tender, stirring occasionally. Adjust seasoning to taste and serve garnished with lemon rind and parsley.