Navarin of Spring Lamb

Preheat the oven to 180˚C.

Trim the lamb of excess fat and cut each steak into 2-3 large pieces. Place the flour in a shallow dish and season well with salt and pepper. Dust the lamb in flour, shaking off the excess.

Heat the olive oil in a large ovenproof casserole dish or saucepan and brown the lamb on all sides. Do this in batches if necessary. Remove each piece to a plate as it browns. Don’t let the flour catch and burn on the base of the pan.

Add the onion to the pan and cook until soft, adding a little extra olive oil if necessary. Stir in garlic, tomato paste and mustard and cook for 1 minute. Add the wine, stock, bouquet garni and the potatoes and bring to the boil. Season and add the lamb with any resting juices and turn to combine. Place a piece of crumpled baking paper over the lamb and cover tightly with a lid or aluminium foil.

Braise in the preheated oven for 1 hour, stirring once. Add the carrots and turnips, cover and cook for a further 30 minutes until the vegetables and meat are tender.

To serve: Transfer the lamb and vegetables to a large shallow serving platter and spoon over the sauce. Scatter with the parsley and lemon zest. 

Pantry note
Bouquet garni: a selection of aromatic herbs such as bay leaf, parsley stalks and sprigs of thyme tied together with kitchen string. You can make your own or buy them in packets from supermarkets or specialty food stores.