Lamb and Barley Soup with Lemon and Chive Dinner Rolls

Serves 6, Prep 30 mins, Cook 2 hours

1 tblsp olive oil 4 lamb shanks (1.5kg) 2 onions, finely chopped 1 small fennel bulb, (350g), trimmed,

finely chopped 3 cloves garlic, crushed 2 tblsp finely chopped fresh rosemary 2 litres (8 cups) chicken stock 2 cups water 3 stalks celery, cut into 2cm pieces 2 large carrots (400g), peeled, cut into

2cm pieces ½ cup pearl barley Salt and pepper, to taste

LEMON AND CHIVE DINNER ROLLS 75g butter, chopped, at room

temperature 2 tblsps thinly sliced fresh chives 2 tsps lemon juice 6-pack white dinner rolls

1 Heat oil in a large, flame-proof, casserole dish (24-cup capacity) over a medium to high heat. Add lamb in two batches. Cook, turning occasionally, for about 7 minutes, or until browned all over. Remove from dish. 2 Add onions, fennel, garlic and rosemary to dish. Cook, stirring occasionally, until soft. 3 Return lamb to dish with stock, water, celery, carrots and barley. Bring to a boil. Cover with a lid. Gently boil, stirring halfway, for about 2 hours, or until lamb is tender enough to fall from the bone with a fork. Remove from heat. 4 Remove lamb. Cool slightly. Shred meat, discarding bones. Skim excess fat from top of the soup. Return lamb to soup. Season with salt and pepper. Stir over a low heat until hot. 5 Meanwhile, make rolls. Mix butter with chives and juice in a small bowl. Season. Without separating rolls, cut in half horizontally using a serrated knife. Spread butter mixture over cut-sides, then replace tops. Transfer to a large oven tray. 6 Cook in a moderate oven (180C) for about 7 minutes, or until crisp. 7 Serve soup with rolls.