- 6 lamb shanks
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 2 onions, peeled, roughly chopped
- 3 carrots, peeled, roughly chopped
- ½ swede or turnip, peeled and cut into small chunks
- 4 cloves garlic, peeled, roughly chopped
- 2 tbsp finely chopped fresh rosemary
- 2 bay leaves
- 2 sprigs fresh thyme, finely chopped
- 2 tbsp tomato purée
- 250g/9oz pearl barley
- 1½ litres/3 pints chicken stock
- 2-3 tbsp mint jelly
- 3 tbsp roughly chopped fresh flatleaf parsley
- Preheat the oven to 150C/300F/Gas 2.
- Season the lamb shanks with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Heat a large ovenproof casserole until smoking, add the oil and lamb shanks and cook for 2-3 minutes on each side, or until golden-brown all over.
- Remove the lamb from the pan and set aside. Add the onions, carrots, swede and garlic to the pan and cook for 2-3 minutes, or until golden-brown.
- Add the rosemary, bay leaves, thyme and tomato purée to the pan and cook for a further minute, then stir in the pearl barley. Cover with the chicken stock and bring to a simmer.
- Cover the pan with a tight-fitting lid, then transfer to the oven to cook for at least three hours, or preferably 5-6 hours, until the lamb is very tender. (You may need to add a bit more liquid.)
- Remove the pan from the oven and stir in the mint jelly and parsley. Season, to taste, with salt and freshly ground black pepper and serve.