Slow roast lamb and barley

  • Rating: 5 stars
  • Takes: 15 mins to prepare and 2 hrs 35 mins to cook
  • Serves: 4

Ingredients

  • 4 Tesco value lamb shoulder shanks
  • 3 medium leeks, trimmed and thickly sliced
  • 12 shallots, peeled
  • 3 medium carrots, scrubbed and thickly sliced
  • 1tbsp olive oil
  • 175g (6oz) pearl barley
  • 600ml (1 pint) lamb or chicken stock
  • 300ml (10fl oz) dry white wine or water
  • 4 dried bay leaves
  • 25g (1oz) fresh flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped

Each serving contains 650 calories, 11g sugar, 20g fat, 1.5g saturates and 0.6g salt.

Method

Preheat oven to gas 7, 220°C, fan 200°C. Rub the lamb shanks with a little salt and pepper, place in a deep roasting tin and cook for 10 minutes. Toss the leeks, shallots and carrots with the olive oil and add to the tin. Return to the oven for a further 10 minutes, until the lamb and veg are starting to brown.

Reduce oven temperature to gas 4, 180°C, fan 160°C. Add the barley, stock, wine (or water, if your prefer) and bay leaves to the tin plus 200ml (7fl oz) of water. Cover with foil and roast for 2 hours 15 minutes, or until the lamb is very tender and the barley has cooked through. (This dish is not quite a stew but it isn't dry, either; there will be some liquid left in the tin after cooking.)

Spoon into shallow bowls and scatter with chopped parsley. Serve with roast potatoes, if desired.

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