Suckling lamb, pomodoro

This dish is one of those ones that screams comfort. It’s bowl food, the kind you can tuck into with some soft polenta or crusty bread to mop up the sauce. It will make you feel good, both cooking it and consuming it. 

Serves 6

• 1 × 1.2 kg piece boneless suckling lamb shoulder
• ¾ teaspoon whole cloves
• ¾ teaspoon toasted fennel seeds
• 1 teaspoon black peppercorns
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 500 g Dutch cream potatoes, peeled and cut into wedges
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• ⅓ cup oregano, chopped
• 2 tablespoons flat-leaf parsley, coarsely chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• 50 ml olive oil
• 150 ml white wine
• 350 ml passata
• 350 ml chicken stock
• 30 g packaged breadcrumbs
• ½ cup (50 g) grated Grana Padano

Preheat the oven to 170°C (fan-forced).

Cut the lamb into roughly 4-cm pieces and place in an earthenware dish or roasting tin. Grind the cloves, fennel seeds and peppercorns into a powder with a mortar and pestle, then mix in the salt. Rub the mixture into the lamb.

Add the potato, onion, oregano, parsley, garlic, olive oil and white wine to the lamb. Pour in the passata and stock and mix to combine. Cover the top with the breadcrumbs and cheese and, using your fingers, push some of the crumbs and cheese into the liquid, not disturbing the top of the lamb which will form a crust as it cooks.

Bake for 1 hour 15 minutes or until the meat is tender.