Provencal braised lamb with lentils

Preparation time 30 mins to 1 hour

Cooking time over 2 hours

Ingredients

½ leg of lamb
2 onions, sliced
3 cloves of garlic
24 cherry tomatoes
small bunch of thyme
olive oil
3 bay leaves
black olives, stoned
½ bottle good red wine
150ml/5fl oz lamb stock
For the lentils
150g/5oz puy lentils
200g/7oz of carrot, onion and celery, finely diced
3 bay leaves
3 tbsp olive oil
500ml/17fl oz chicken stock
12 cherry tomatoes
1 lemon

Method

1. For the lamb, sear in a casserole dish in the olive oil until well browned.
2. Remove and add the onion and garlic and tomatoes.
3. Cook for a minute or two and add the lamb.
4. Add the stock, red wine, bay leaves and olives and thyme.
5. Cover and cook in the oven at 180/350/Gas 4 for two hours. The lamb should be almost falling off the bone.
6. Meanwhile, fry the carrot, onion and celery with the olive oil for a few moments then add the chicken stock and tomatoes, bay leaves and lentils.
7. Simmer until the liquid has gone and the lentils are tender. Add a splash more oil and the lemon juice.
8. Take the lamb out, reduce the stock for a moment and flake off some big chunks of lamb.
9. Place a pile of lentils in a rustic dish and pile the lamb on top. Spoon the sauce around and over and serve.