Lamb in Anchovy and Wine Sauce

Succulent lamb, anchovy, rosemary, red wine and button onions Impart rich flavours to lamb. Use tubes of anchovy paste that can be purchased at any delicatessen. Serve with new potatoes, basmati rice and a large green salad This recipe serves 12, great for a crowd.

• Ready In: 2 hrs 15 mins
• Serves: 12
• Yields: 1 very large serving dish

Ingredients

• 4  kg  lean lamb shoulder
• 1  large onion, peeled and quartered
• 2  sticks celery, chopped
• 1⁄4 teaspoon dried rosemary
• 1 2⁄3 liters water
• 570  ml red wine
• 450  g  button onions, peeled
• 115  g all-purpose flour
• 4  tablespoons  anchovy  puree
• 300  g button mushrooms
• 50  g walnuts, chopped
•  salt & freshly ground black pepper
•  chopped parsley

Directions

1. Peel the button onions, peel and quarter the large onion, chop the celery sticks into 2 inch pieces, chop the walnuts roughly and finely chop the parsley.
2. With a sharp knives, cut all the meat off the shoulders of lamb, reserving the bones.
3. Trim off any fat, then cut the meat into cubes.
4. Put the fat into a frying pan over gentle heat to melt it down. Place the lamb bones in a large pot with the quartered onion, celery, a good pinch of rosemary and the water. Bring to the boil, cover and simmer gently for 1 ½ hours then strain the stock into a bowl.
5. Heat 4 tablespoons of the lamb fat in a large pot and fry the button onions over high heat until brown.
6. Remove the onions with a slotted spoon and set them aside on a plate.
7. Fry the lamb cubes in two or three batches until browned on all sides.
8. Set the browned meat aside with the onions.
9. Once all the meat has been browned and set aside, sprinkle the flour into the remaining fat in the pot, add a little extra lamb fat if necessary, cook over a very gentle heat, stirring frequently until the flour is browned, them gradually stir in the wine and 1.1 litres of the lamb stock, bring to the boil stirring all the time. Add the remaining rosemary and stir in the anchovy puree with a wire whisk.
10. Return the meat and onions to the pot.
11. Cover and simmer gently for 1 hour stirring from time to time.
12. Add the mushrooms and walnuts, cover and simmer gently for 15 minutes.
13. Season to taste with pepper and salt if necessary
14. Turn into a serving dish and sprinkle generously with parsley.