Sam based this on a recipe from Adie McClelland's Black Dog Cottage Cookbook. We used mutton for this dish, which needs cooking for longer than lamb to ensure that the meat is touch-tender and falling apart.
Serves 8, generously
• Olive oil
• 700g sliced onions
• 2 cloves of garlic, sliced
• 2 sticks celery, chopped
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 springs of thyme
• 2 sprigs of rosemary
• 1 shoulder of lamb, boned and cubed, approximately 1.5 kg
• 900g tinned tomatoes
• 250ml beef stock
• 500g orzo
• salt and pepper
• flat leaf parsley
• mint
Preheat oven to 150 C.
1. In a frying pan, sweat down the onions, garlic and celery in some of the oil until they are melted, but not coloured. Remove them to a large heavy casserole with a lid or an oven dish and set aside.
2. Season the lamb with salt and pepper, then brown off well with some more olive oil in the same pan. Do this in batches so the lamb browns without stewing in its own juices. Transfer to the casserole dish.
3. Add the tomatoes, stock and orzo to the casserole and season generously with salt and pepper. Top with water if necessary so that everything is covered.
4. Top with a lid or foil and cook in the oven for about an hour and a half, until the meat is tender and falling apart. Check during cooking, and if it needs a little more moisture, add some water or a little red wine to the pot. Taste and adjust seasoning.
To serve, sprinkle over some chopped flat-leaf parsley and mint and, if you like, a bit of greek yoghurt. Good with some dressed leaves and a fruity light red wine. Opa!