Irish stew

1. Heat the oven to 180C/350F/gas 4. Drain and rinse the soaked wheat, put it in a medium pan with plenty of water, bring to the boil, and simmer for an hour until cooked, then drain and set aside.
2. Season the lamb with a teaspoon of salt and some black pepper. Heat a tablespoon of oil in a large, deep lidded sauté pan over medium-high heat, sear the lamb in batches without crowding the pan, four minutes on all sides, then move it to a bowl, topping up the oil as needed.
3. Turn the heat to medium, add a tablespoon of oil, and fry the shallots for four minutes until caramelised, then add them to the lamb. Do the same with the rest of the vegetables until all are nicely browned, adding more oil as you go.
4. With the vegetables out, pour in the wine with the sugar, herbs, a teaspoon of salt and a good grind of pepper, and boil hard for about three minutes.
5. Return the lamb, vegetables and wheat to the pot, add the stock, cover, and boil for five minutes, then move it to the oven for an hour and a half.
6. Check the liquid. If there's a lot, take the lid off and boil for a few minutes to reduce.

Tips from the ZestyPlate Kitchen

• Sear the lamb and vegetables in batches; pile too much into the pan and they'll steam rather than brown.
• Soak the wheat overnight and pre-cook it so it's tender by the time it joins the stew.
• Boil the wine hard before the rest goes in, which drives off the alcohol and concentrates the flavour.
• If the stew looks too wet at the end, take the lid off and reduce it until it's rich and thick.