The Country Wives were kind enough to publish this recipe on their website recently.

When cooler temperatures and rain put paid to our barbecue plans on Sunday, I decided to make Navarin of Lamb, a delicious braise which uses a variety of spring vegetables. I didn’t have in my kitchen any of the baby turnips or carrots which are traditional but knew I could make the dish with what I did have, and the recipe below is the result. Use any good veg you can find, with this recipe as a guide.

Navarin of Lamb

Serves 4

Ingredients

• 600g lamb neck fillet cut into large dice
• 1 tbsp olive oil and a knob of butter
• 1 small onion, peeled and sliced
• 1 celery stick, sliced
• 1 tbsp tomato purée
• I clove garlic, bruised
• Sprig or two of thyme
• Sprig of rosemary
• 1 bay leaf
• 100ml white wine (or red if that’s what you have)
• 300ml chicken stock
• 225g baby new potatoes
• 100g carrots (baby carrots left whole or “old” carrots peeled and cut into thick batons)
• 150g frozen baby broad beans
• 150g frozen petits pois

Method

• Heat the oil and butter in a shallow, heavy-bottomed casserole on the simmering plate and add the onions, celery and pieces of lamb
• Stir to coat everything in the fat and then move the casserole to the floor of the roasting oven for a few minutes to brown the lamb
• Return it to the simmering plate and add some seasoning, the tomato purée and wine. Let this bubble for a couple of minutes and then add the garlic, bay leaf, herbs and stock
• Bring to the boil, cover and place in the simmering oven for 1½ hours but longer would be fine: in an Aga nothing dries out
• About half an hour before you want to eat, place the potatoes and carrots in a saucepan with a little salt, a teaspoon of caster sugar, a knob of butter and 100ml of water. Bring to the boil on the boiling plate, cover and transfer to the simmering oven
• Cook the peas, drain and rinse in cold water so they retain their colour
• Cook the broad beans, drain and rinse in cold water and slip off the skins
• Remove the lamb from the casserole to a plate, discard the garlic, herbs and bay leaf and bring the broth to the boil on the simmering plate to reduce it a little
• Return the lamb to the casserole and, having checked they’re tender, add the potatoes and carrots and finally the peas and broad beans
• Taste for seasoning, sprinkle with some chopped parsley and serve