Slow-Cooked Lemony Lamb

Ingredients

• olive oil
• 1.25kg trimmed and boned whole lamb shoulder, cut into chunks
• 3 shallots, finely chopped
• 4 garlic cloves, crushed
• finely grated zest 2 lemons
• 6 bay leaves
• small bunch parsley, finely chopped
• 1.3 litres lamb/chicken stock
• 250g pearl barley, rinsed and drained

For the egg and lemon sauce

• ½ tsp cornflour
• juice 1 lemon
• 2 egg yolks

To serve

• Handful coriander leaf

Method

1. Soak the pearl barley in water. It will be ready by the time you need it.
2. Heat oven to 180ºC.
3. Fry the lamb in olive oil until it is browned all over. Set aside.
4. Fry the shallots until soft, for about 5 minutes.
5. Return the lamb to the pan with the garlic and lemon zest. Cook for 2 minutes until slightly softened. Add the bay leaves, half the parsley and 1 litre of the stock. Season to taste and bring to the boil. Once boiling, transfer to a casserole dish with a lid and cook in the oven for an hour.
6. Tip in the barley and remaining stock. Cook for another hour, until the lamb is really tender. Lift the barley and lamb out with a slotted spoon, reserving any sauce. Put aside and keep warm.
7. Bring the remaining sauce to a simmer over a low heat. Stir 1 tbsp of water into the cornflour, then mix in the lemon juice and the egg yolks. Stir into the simmering liquid and cook until slightly thickened. Season to taste and stir in the coriander.
8. To serve, stir through the remaining parsley through lamb and barley and spoon over the sauce.