Lamb shoulder with fennel, horseradish & milk

Soak the wood (if using) for up to 24 hours before cooking – it will infuse the lamb with a beautiful smokiness later.

Use a sharp knife to carefully poke plenty of deep slits into the lamb. Drizzle with the oil and rub all over. Toast the fennel seeds and peppercorns in a frying pan set over a medium heat for 1-2 minutes, until fragrant. Use a pestle and mortar to roughly crush with the salt, then stir in the lemon zest and rub all over the lamb, working it into the slits. Set on a plate, loosely cover and chill for 2-24 hours.

When ready to cook, fire up your barbecue ready for indirect grilling, piling the coals in a strip to one side. Add the drained wood (if using) and shut the vents of the barbecue to stabilise the temperature at 120-130ºC. Set the lamb on the far side of the grill, away from the fire, and cook for 3 hours, adding more charcoal as necessary. Meanwhile, mix the milk, garlic and horseradish in a jug and chill until needed.

Lay 4 foil sheets (each about 3 times the size of your lamb) in a cross shape on a baking sheet that will fit on your barbecue. Lift the lamb onto the centre of the foil and crunch up the sides to form walls. Pour the milk mixture over the lamb, then fold up and crimp the foil to fully enclose it. Place the baking sheet on the grill, away from the heat so the lamb can keep cooking indirectly. Open the vents a little to raise the temperature to 150-160ºC (add more coal if needed). Cook for 3 hours, until a meat thermometer placed in the thickest part of the lamb reads 94-95ºC and the meat pulls apart easily. Leave to rest for 30 minutes, wrapped up, then serve with a peppery green salad, if liked.