Braised lamb shoulder with peas and soft polenta

Ingredients

  • 1 Lamb shoulder, bone in        
  • 4  celery stalks, coarsely chopped    
  • 1 each carrot and onion, coarsely chopped    
  • 6  garlic cloves, unpeeled, bruised        
  • 250 ml dry white wine    
  • 1 tsp each coarsely chopped thyme, sage and rosemary    
  • 180gm  frozen peas, defrosted    
  • oil                        
  • To serve: Pecorino Toscano, grated finely
  • 1 long red chilli, julienned, seeds removed        
  • To serve: zested lemon rind and juice, oregano and extra-virgin olive oil

Method

  1. Preheat oven to 120C. Heat a large non-stick frying pan over medium-high heat, add lamb and brown starting skin-side down until golden all over (10 minutes). Arrange vegetables in the centre of a roasting pan and scatter garlic around, then place lamb on top, pour wine over, scatter with herbs, season to taste, cover with foil and braise in oven until meat is falling from the bone (7 hours).
  2. Blanch peas in boiling water (2-4 minutes), then drain.
  3. Transfer lamb to a platter and top with peas, grated pecorino, chilli and lemon rind, squeeze lemon juice over, scatter with oregano, drizzle with extra-virgin olive oil, then serve.

Click here for the Polenta