Ingredients
| 6 lamb neck chops (or use shoulder chops) | |
| 2 tablespoons olive oil | |
| 1 bunch of parsley, leaves and stems separated | |
| 3 carrots, roughly chopped | |
| 2 onions, roughly chopped | |
| 2 stalks celery, roughly chopped | |
| ¼ cup tomato paste | |
| 3 sprigs rosemary | |
| 125ml dry white wine | |
| 500ml good-quality lamb or vegetable stock | |
| 2 garlic cloves | |
| zest of 1 lemon | |
| 300g small pasta such as cavatelli |
Braising lamb neck pieces with vegetables results in a dish with an osso buco vibe. Small pasta is simmered in the resulting juices – any small pasta style will work, such as ditalini, fregola, orzo or cavatelli, as I used. You can discard the vegetables, although I like eating the carrots separately on the side. The gremolata cuts through the richness of this dish.
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Instructions
| 1. | Heat the oven to 160℃. |
| 2. | Season the lamb with salt and pepper. Heat the oil in a casserole dish over a high heat and brown the lamb on both sides then set aside. |
| 3. | Reduce the heat to medium high. Add the parsley stems, carrots, onions, celery, tomato paste and rosemary and cook for about 5 minutes, stirring often. |
| 4. | Pour in the wine and bring to the boil, scraping up any browned bits. |
| 5. | Arrange the lamb pieces on top and pour over the stock along with 1 cup water and cover with the lid. |
| 6. | Place in the oven and cook for 2 hours until the meat is very tender. |
| 7. | For the gremolata, finely chop together the parsley leaves, garlic and lemon zest. Set aside. |
| 8. | Carefully remove the meat, cover and set aside. Drain the liquid off the vegetables into a saucepan, discarding the vegetables if liked. |
| 9. | Skim the fat off the top and bring to the boil. Add the pasta and bring to a steady simmer, stirring often, until the pasta is just al dente, about 10 minutes. |
| 10. | You can add boiling water if the pasta is getting too dry. Cover and leave to rest for 10 minutes. |
| 11. | Spoon into heated bowls and top with a piece of lamb and a sprinkle of gremolata. |
Recipes & food styling Fiona SmithFiona Smith / Photography Aaron McLeanAaron McLean / Styling Fiona LascellesFiona Lascelles