TOMMY BANKS

Our new star chef ’s lamb lasagne

Braised lamb lasagne

Considering that they’re cheap and easy to come by, lamb neck fillets are hugely underused. This is my lazy Sunday dish – I put the lamb in the oven and go out for the day, then quickly assemble the lasagne before tea.

SERVES 4 PREP 30 mins COOK 5 hrs EASY ❄

1 tbsp olive oil

4 lamb neck fillets (about 400g)

1 garlic clove

1 rosemary sprig

500g carton passata

500ml whole milk

50g unsalted butter

50g plain flour

70g parmesan, grated

6 lasagne sheets

2 mozzarella balls, torn into thin strips 2 tbsp panko breadcrumbs dressed chicory leaves, to serve (optional) 1 Heat oven to 130C/110C fan/gas 1. Heat the oil in a casserole dish. Season the lamb generously, then sizzle for 5 mins until nicely browned. Add the garlic and rosemary and cook for a minute more, then pour over the passata. Rinse out the passata carton with a splash of water, then pour that in too. Season, then bring to a simmer. Cover tightly with foil, top with the lid, then cook in the oven for at least 31/2 hrs or up to 4 hrs, until the lamb is shreddable. Leave the lamb to cool slightly, then use two forks to shred it into the sauce. Will keep in the fridge for two days, or in the freezer for six months.

2 To make the béchamel, heat the milk in a saucepan until just simmering. In a separate pan, melt the butter, then add the four and stir to make a sandy paste. Slowly whisk in the hot milk until combined and you have a glossy white sauce. Stir in half the parmesan and season. Meanwhile, soak the lasagne sheets in just-boiled water to soften, then drain.

3 Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Spread a thin layer of the lamb sauce over the base of a small lasagne dish, then top with a layer of pasta, followed by a third of the béchamel and a third of the mozzarella. Add a second layer of lamb, then again top with pasta, then béchamel, then mozzarella. Add a fnal layer of pasta, then top with the rest of the béchamel, the last of the mozzarella, the remaining parmesan and the panko breadcrumbs. Bake the lasagne for 35 mins, then turn the oven up to 190C/170C fan/gas 5. Bake for 10 mins more to crisp up the top, then leave to rest for 10 mins before serving straight from the dish with a few dressed chicory leaves, if you like.

GOOD TO KNOW calcium • 1 of 5-a-day

PER SERVING 863 kcals • fat 54g • saturates 30g • carbs 45g • sugars 12g • fibre 3g • protein 48g • salt 1.3g

Tommy Banks is chef-owner at The Black Swan in Olstead, North Yorkshire (blackswanoldstead.co.uk). His new book, Roots, is out on 5 April (£25, Seven Dials). We’ll be running an exclusive extract from the book in next month’s issue. @tommybanks8...