It depends whether you want fast or slow roasting! A leg of lamb is lean and pretty zippy to cook, especially if you get it boned out. It is best left pink. A shoulder needs a long slow roasting time, we do it for at least three or four hours at work, but the upside of this is meat that is rich and tender enough to eat with a spoon. Try this recipe, my current favorite.

This is perfect food for Easter time when you never know what the weather will get up to. Serve it with a pile of rice and its rich and comforting. With a salad and crusty bread, it is British summertime on a plate. Either way, the cooking and eating are effortless. The lamb is so tender it simply needs to be nudged apart with a spoon. The juices are surprisingly complex considering how few ingredients you need.

Serves 2 to 4

You need:
2 large carrots
2 large onions
4 cloves garlic
2 stalks celery
3 tbs olive oil
1 x 1.2 kilo shoulder of lamb, on the bone
1 tbs white wine vinegar
1 tsp salt
1 tsp sugar
400 ml water

Pre heat the oven to 200c/gas6. Peel and halve each carrot, onion, garlic clove and celery stick. Heat the olive oil in a large pot or casserole and, when it is smoking hot, sear the vegetables so that they just catch and brown a tiny bit. Remove them, set them aside and add the lamb to the same pot, browning it generously all over. Mix the vinegar, salt, sugar, tomato puree and water into a slightly unpromising and cloudy looking stock. Pour it all over the lamb and bring it to a simmer. Add the vegetables, cover and transfer to the oven. Now cook the pot for at least two hours or until the lamb is so tender you can cut (or portion it) with a spoon. The juices should be slightly opaque and glossy. If there is a little more liquid than you like for a casserole, lift out the joint and rest it on the serving dish while you reduce the liquid. Either way you should rest the dish for a good ten minutes before serving. That way it will be extra tender.