Luscious lamb with red wine lentils

Yes, it's been a while. I've been spending the last six months buying a new house (with a fab kitchen naturally!), moving jobs, travelling the Baltics and losing weight on the South Beach diet.

So, to celebrate my return, I offer you this slow cooked fabulousness...

Serves 2-4 depending on appetite

Luscious lamb

600g lamb shoulder
1 sprig fresh rosemary or a hefty pinch of dried (I use Seasoned Pioneers)
Half a head of garlic, split into cloves (no need to peel)
300ml red wine

Red wine lentils

1 tin of lentils
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 onion, finely chopped
A good glug of red wine
A good pinch of Herbes de Provence

1. Pre heat the oven to 120c
2. Put a roasting tin on the hob and brown the lamb shoulder all over
3. Sprinkle the lamb all over with rosemary, salt and pepper
4. Add the garlic cloves and wine to the tin, cover with foil and put into the oven. This takes a minimum of 4 hours to cook, but it is perfectly happy to be left for a further 3 hours so is perfect if you don't know when your guests are showing up.
5. Amuse yourself for 4.5 hours....
6. Fry the onion and garlic in some oil until softened
7. Add the Herbes de Provence and fry for 30 seconds more, until fragrant
8. Add the lentils and wine
9. Simmer gently for 20 minutes
10. Serve the lamb on a bed of the lentils. The lamb will be buttery soft and melt in the mouth.

Enjoy!

PS the left over juices form a fabulous lamb stock if you refrigerate and siphon off the fat...