Ingredients

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 900g/2b middle neck of lamb
• bone on
• 2.5 litres/4 pints/80fl oz chicken stock
• 1 onion
• ½ head garlic
• 1 carrot
• 1 sprig thyme
• 1 sprig rosemary
• 500g/1lb 2oz spinach
• 250g/10oz ricotta
• 1 egg yolk
• beaten
• 2 tbsp parmesan
• 125g/5oz '00'or strong flour
• 500ml/17fl oz fl oz lamb stock
• approximately (reserved from stew base)
• 500ml/17fl oz lamb stock
• 100g/4oz sugar snap peas
• 50g/2oz frozen peas
• 1 carrot
• cut into 3cm/1in chunks
• 4 baby turnips
• 1 courgette
• cut into 3cm/1in chunks
• 12 baby plum tomatoes
• 500ml/17fl oz lamb stock (reserved from stew base)

Directions

• For the stew
• heat the olive oil in a large frying pan and lightly cook the lamb until browned on both sides. Transfer to a large saucepan.
• Add the chicken stock
• vegetables and herbs to the saucepan.
• Bring slowly to a simmer and cook for about 1½ hours or until the lamb is tender and falls from the bone.
• Remove the vegetables and herbs from the stock and discard them. Reserve the stock for cooking the dumplings and vegetables.
• For the dumplings
• blanch the spinach in boiling water for 30 seconds
• then plunge into iced water. Drain and squeeze until thoroughly dried. Finely chop the blanched spinach.
• In a mixing bowl set over a pan of boiling water
• beat the ricotta until smooth. Gradually add the egg yolk and then the parmesan. Remove from the heat and stir in the flour to make a dough.
• Fold in the spinach
• before rolling the dough into balls the size of a walnut.
• Heat the lamb stock in a medium saucepan. Drop in the dumplings and cook for 5-8 minutes until cooked through - you will know they are done when they float to the top of the pan.
• Meanwhile
• heat the lamb stock for the vegetables in a medium saucepan. Add all the vegetables
• except the tomatoes
• and cook until softened
• but still retaining bite - this should take about six minutes. Drain the vegetables
• reserving the stock.
• Blanch the tomatoes by scoring them with a sharp knife
• dropping them into boiling water and leaving for 5-8 seconds. Transfer to a bowl of cold water. Using a sharp knife
• carefully remove the skin.
• Add enough of the lamb stock to the stew to bring it to sauce consistency. Serve the lamb topped with the cooked vegetables
• blanched tomatoes and dumplings.