Name: Slow-braised lamb with plums and rosemary
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 2 h 40 min
Total time: 3 h 10 min
Yield: Serves 4 Hands
Ingredients: 2 tbsp cold-pressed rapeseed oil; 800g boneless lamb shoulder, trimmed and cut into 4cm chunks; 2 red onions, cut into thin wedges; 3 garlic cloves, sliced; 2 tbsp plain flour; 250ml red wine; 400ml lamb or chicken stock; 1 tbsp red wine vinegar; 2 rosemary sprigs; 3 bay leaves; 600g floury potatoes, such as Maris Piper, peeled and cut into 4cm chunks; 400g ripe plums, halved and stoned; 1 tbsp light muscovado sugar (optional); small handful of flat-leaf parsley, chopped, to serve

Slow-braised lamb with plums and rosemary

A lamb and plum braise recipe for the last week of September, when a glut of orchard fruit and a slow oven turn a cheap cut into an easy supper for four.

Dairy-free

Serves4 Hands

Hands-on30 min

Oven2 hours 40 min

DifficultyEasy

Plums that were headed for a crumble find a better home in a casserole dish. Lamb shoulder goes low in the oven with red onions and rosemary, and the halved fruit is tucked in for the final half hour, so it softens into the juices without losing its shape.

Why it’s so good: The plums bring sweetness and acidity at the same time, which is what keeps a long braise from feeling heavy, while the shoulder pulls into soft strands against the potatoes.

Make it easy: Brown the lamb and build the sauce a day ahead, then chill the pot and give it its long oven stretch the following afternoon.

Method

Heat the oven to 160°C/140°C fan/gas 3. Warm 1 tbsp of the oil in a large flameproof casserole over a medium-high heat. Season the lamb well with flaky sea salt and black pepper, then brown it in two batches for 6-8 minutes a batch, turning, until deeply coloured on most sides. Lift each batch onto a plate as it is done.

Turn the heat down to medium and add the remaining oil, then the onions. Cook for 6-8 minutes, stirring, until softened and starting to catch at the edges. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute, then scatter over the flour and stir for 1 minute more so it coats everything in the pan.

Pour in the wine and let it bubble for 2 minutes, scraping the base of the pan to lift the sticky bits. Add the stock, vinegar, rosemary and bay, then return the lamb and any juices from the plate. Bring to a gentle simmer, cover and transfer to the oven for 1 hour 30 minutes.

Stir in the potatoes, pushing them under the liquid. Cover and return to the oven for 45 minutes, until they give easily to the point of a knife and the lamb pulls apart under a fork.

Spoon off any fat pooling on the surface. Tuck the plums in cut side up, sprinkling over the sugar if they taste sharp, and return the pot to the oven uncovered for 20-25 minutes, until the plums have slumped at the edges and the sauce looks glossy.

Rest the braise for 10 minutes, then fish out the rosemary stalks and bay leaves. Taste and season again, scatter with the parsley and take the pot straight to the table.

Per serving (Serves 4 Hands)

Calories

670kcals

Fat

33g (12g saturated)

Protein

38g

Carbohydrates

45g (13g sugars)

Fibre

Salt

0.8g

Quick wins, tips & make ahead

Make ahead and storage: the braise is better on day two, once the sauce has settled. Cool it quickly, chill within two hours and keep it covered in the fridge for up to three days, then reheat until steaming hot right through.

Swaps: lamb neck fillet works in place of shoulder and needs about 20 minutes less in the oven. Damsons are too sharp here, but greengages or firm eating plums both hold their shape well, and dry cider can stand in for the red wine.

Check the label on the stock if the dairy-free tag matters, as some cubes and pots carry milk powder. For a gentler dish for younger eaters, use half wine and half stock and add an extra 100ml of water.