Shoulder of Lamb with Courgettes

Serves 6

(LISA BARBER)

1 shoulder of lamb
Sea salt and black pepper
2 glasses dry white wine
2 tbsp good-quality red-wine vinegar
2 fresh bay leaves
1 bunch sage
1 dried red chilli, crumbled
2 anchovies
5 cloves garlic
3 green courgettes
3 yellow courgettes
25ml/1fl oz extra-virgin olive oil
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 bunch of parsley, roughly chopped

Pre-heat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas4 then, using a sharp knife, trim the shoulder of most of its fat and season with salt and pepper. Place in a pan large enough to hold the meat and brown well all over on top of a hot stove.

Transfer to a baking tray and pour over the white wine and vinegar, add the bay leaves, sage, chilli, anchovies and whole garlic cloves. Cover the baking tray with foil and place on the middle shelf of the oven. Cook for two-and-a-half hours.

Remove the foil from the lamb and cook uncovered for a further 30 minutes. With about 20 minutes to go, slice the courgettes into large, uneven chunks. Pour the oil into a heavy-based pan over a medium heat and add the courgettes and garlic. Stir to combine and season with a little sea salt and black pepper. Place a lid on the pan and cook until the courgettes are tender – this will take 15 minutes or so.

Remove the lamb from the oven – it should now be soft enough to eat with a spoon – and pull the meat from the bone, discarding the shoulder blade. Stir in the courgettes and sprinkle over some parsley. Add good bread and a simple green salad and serve.