Alastair Hendy's Lamb Hotpot with Barley

Have ready a large ovenproof lidded casserole. Preheat the oven to 180C/160C fan/350F/gas 4. Peel and finely chop 1 onion and trim and chop 1 celery stick. Heat 2 tbsp oil in the casserole.

Season and brown the lamb shanks all over, about 4-5 minutes. Remove, add a splash more oil and the chopped celery and onion, season and fry gently for 1-2 minutes. Return the lamb shanks to the pan, pour in 1.5 litres water, bring to a bubble, then cover and braise in the oven for 3 hours, until the meat is falling from the bones.

When done, remove from the oven, flake the meat, discarding the bones, and strain and reserve the cooking liquid, discarding the spent vegetables. If necessary, add water to make the cooking liquid up to 1.5 litres.

Meanwhile, peel or trim and chop the remaining onion and celery. Peel and roughly chop the root vegetables.
In a large pan, melt the butter with 1 tbsp oil, add the vegetables and fry gently for 3-4 minutes.

Add the lamb, the strained cooking liquid and the barley, bring to a simmer and cook for 30-35 minutes or until the barley and veg are all tender. Check the seasoning. Scatter with chopped parsley, if you wish