Braised Scrag End of Lamb

This is a traditional Greek lamb dish, which is full of flavour and tastes even better the next day. Scrag end is an inexpensive cut of meat taken from the top of the neck, above the shoulder of the lamb. Scrag end is often used for mince but is best used for soups, curries and stews.

Ingredients:

2 garlic cloves, finely chopped

Zest of 1 lemon

4 tbsp olive oil

1 kg scrag end of neck of lamb, cut across the bone into chops

1large onion, finely chopped

1 stalk celery, finely chopped

4 tsp tomato purée

1 x 400g can plum tomatoes, chopped

1 litres chicken stock

400 g medium potatoes, peeled and quartered

1 fresh bay leaf

1 cinnamon stick

2 tbsp chopped dill

300 g runner beans or flat beans, sliced

4 tbsp chopped parsley

Method:

Crush the garlic with 2 teaspoons of sea salt to form a paste. Mix in the lemon zest and 2 tablespoons of the olive oil and rub all over the lamb. Put into a non-reactive dish and leave to marinate for at least 1 hour or preferably overnight.

Heat the remaining olive in a heavy-based pan large enough to hold the lamb and potatoes. Once hot, brown the lamb in batches and set aside.

Add the onion and celery to the pan and cook until softened before adding the tomato puree. Cook for another minute, then add the tomatoes and chicken stock. Bring to the boil and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Return the lamb to the pan and add the bay leaf and cinnamon stick. Cover and simmer for 1 hour.

Add the potatoes and simmer for 20 minutes uncovered, before adding the dill, the beans and half the parsley. Simmer for a further 15 minutes, until the beans and potatoes are tender.

To serve, spoon the stew into deep bowls and sprinkle with the remaining parsley. This dish tastes even better the day after.