Slow braised shoulder of lamb

Here in rural southwest France, tradition dictates lamb that is being roasted or braised is seasoned simply with parsley or rosemary and garlic, along with a generous amount of salt. Rarely is lamb adorned with gutsy spices or flavourings before roasting; simplicity is key. This delicious slow-cooked braised lamb recipe will take advantage of the last of your summer capsicum harvest. 1 shoulder of lamb on the bone (at room temperature) ½ cup olive oil (choose a

good flavoured one) 3 small onions, peeled

and thickly sliced 2 each red, yellow and

green capsicums,

cored and quartered 4-6 large cloves garlic, peeled and thickly sliced 1 cup light-bodied red

wine 1 bouquet garni ⅓ - ½ cup pine nuts,

toasted Heat the oven to 180C. Season the room temperature lamb all over well with salt and pepper. Heat the oil on a large, flameproof, deep-sided roasting dish and add the onions and peppers and cook over a moderate heat until the vegetables have begun to soften and even taken on a little brown colour. Add the garlic and toss in the hot oil for a couple of additional minutes. Add the red wine and bouquet garni and simmer until the mixture has reduced by half. Sit the lamb in the centre of the dish. Roast in the preheated oven for 2-3 hours. Please note that the lamb shoulder here in France is much smaller than in New Zealand. Ideally the lamb should be well-browned and well- cooked. If it is browning too much, cover with a layer of foil. It is a matter of keeping an eye on it once the meat has cooked for two hours. Allow the lamb to rest for 15-20 minutes before carving. Warm up any juices left in the dish along with the capsicums before carving or pulling the meat from the bone. Scatter the pine nuts over the lamb when serving. I like to add a handful of fresh rocket leaves to the capsicums when serving them.