Pressed lamb

Method

• step 1

  Heat the oven to 135C/fan 115C/gas 2. Lightly drizzle the lamb in vegetable oil and season well. Heat a non-stick frying pan over a medium-high heat and brown the lamb shoulder for 2-3 minutes on each side until golden. Transfer to a deep baking tray.

• step 2

  Add the carrots, celery, onions, garlic and fennel to the same pan, and fry over a high heat for 5 minutes to colour, and stir to gather the lamb juices from the pan. Add another 1 tsp of oil if the ingredients look a little dry.

• step 3

  Add the wine to the pan and reduce by half. Then add the stock and heat up, before pouring all the liquid over the lamb shoulder in the tray. You want the shoulder to be at least half covered with liquid so you might need to add some water to top it up. Add the herbs, cover with foil and cook in the oven for 6 hours.

• step 4

  When the lamb is cooked, remove from the tray and carefully remove all of the bones. Put a sheet of baking paper over the lamb, followed by a flat tray, with a weight on top to press the shoulder. Chill for at least 3 hours or overnight in the fridge.

• step 5

  While the lamb is pressing, strain the stock from the lamb pan, skim off any fat with a ladle and reduce the sauce until you get a rich gravy.

• step 6

  Heat the oven to 200C/fan 180C/gas 6. To make the courgette side, put the onions, cut-side down, onto a baking tray, drizzle with oil and season. Roast for 15 minutes, then add the courgette slices and spring onions, and roast for another 15-20 minutes.

• step 7

  For the green sauce, whizz all the ingredients together in a food processor to make a smooth paste, then season.

• step 8

  To finish, cut the pressed lamb into 2cm slices and fry in a pan with 1 tbsp of vegetable oil for 2 minutes on each side until browned before putting in the oven for 10 minutes.

• step 9

  Mix the green sauce with the courgettes and onions, pour the reduced stock over the lamb slices and serve.