Cider is often paired with pork or chicken, but it works a treat with lamb too. Serves four to six.
Ingredients:-
- 2-3 tbsp sunflower, rapeseed or olive oil
- 2 large onions, peeled, quartered and sliced
- 2 carrots, peeled and thickly sliced
- 2 celery stalks, thickly sliced
- 1kg stewing lamb, such as neck, cut into large chunks
- Salt and pepper
- 300ml cider
- 1 heaped tsp English mustard
- 3-4 sprigs fresh rosemary
- 3-4 sprigs fresh thyme
- 3 bay leaves
Method:-
- Heat the oven to 130C/260F/gas mark ½.
- Heat a tablespoon of oil in a large casserole dish over medium heat.
- Add he onion, carrot and celery, and start them cooking. Once they are sizzling nicely, turn down the heat and let them sweat, stirring often, for a good 10 minutes.
- Meanwhile, heat a tablespoon of oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat.
- Add third to half the lamb (depending on the size of your pan), season and cook, stirring from time to time, until well browned.
- Transfer to the veg pot and repeat with the remaining lamb, adding a little more oil if need be.
- With the now empty frying pan over a moderate heat, deglaze with the cider, scraping up the brown bits stuck to the base.
- Add this to the casserole with the mustard and herbs, pour in enough water barely to cover the meat and veg, bring to a simmer and transfer to the oven
- Cook until the meat is tender: about two hours, but start checking after an hour.
- Season again to taste, then serve with creamy mash and lightly cooked greens
- Apple sauce or some lightly fried slices of apple are a very nice addition on the side.
