Serves 6

The neck of a lamb has almost more flavour than any other cut. Lambs are non-stop grazers and the muscles that wrap around the neck work hard all day and need long, slow cooking to break down the sinew and fibres. Throwing olives in with your braised lamb adds a warm earthiness to the meal.

3 large lamb necks, split in half lengthways and sinew removed

2 tablespoons plain (all-purpose) flour

olive oil

1 onion, finely diced

1 celery stalk, finely diced

1 carrot, finely diced

90 g (3¼ oz/½ cup) olives

2 large fresh rosemary sprigs

3 purple garlic cloves, smashed with back of a knife

400 ml (14 fl oz) red wine

1 litre (35 fl oz/4 cups) meat stock

Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F/Gas 4). Wash the lamb necks well and remove any blood and bone fragments. Dry them and place them in a sealed plastic bag with the flour. Shake the bag to lightly coat the necks. Heat the oil in a cast-iron casserole dish over medium heat. Add the necks and turn to seal on all sides — bone side down to start, then continue turning until they are brown all over. Remove and set aside.

Add the onion, celery, carrot, olives, rosemary and garlic to the dish and sauté for 5 minutes. Return the lamb necks to the dish, add the wine and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 10 minutes, or until the wine has reduced by half. Add the stock, bring back to the boil, then remove the dish from the heat and cover with a lid. Transfer to the oven and cook for 3–4 hours, checking occasionally and turning the necks if they are getting dry on top. When the meat falls from the bone, remove from the oven and lift out the necks. Allow to cool a little, then remove the meat from the bones and set aside.

Skim the fat from the liquid in the dish and simmer for 10 minutes, or until it has thickened slightly and is rich in colour. Return the meat to the sauce and heat through. Serve over mashed potato or with couscous or lentils.