Lamb shoulder with samphire and red pepper sauce

Bring a very large saucepan of salted water to the boil. Add the lamb shoulder and boil gently for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 200°C, gas mark 6. Put the potato discs, shallots and tomatoes in a roasting tin large enough to hold the lamb. Sit the boiled lamb shoulder in the centre and season with salt. Add all the remaining ingredients except for the samphire, olives and spring greens. Cover with baking parchment, then with foil. Roast for about 2 hours 30 minutes, checking it after the frst hour – if the liquid is evaporating, top it up with small cups of water. The fnal dish should not be dry. The exact cooking time will depend on the tenderness of the lamb, so it’s important to keep going until the meat feels soft like butter. When the lamb is almost falling off the bone, remove the foil and parchment and roast for another 15-20 minutes, until crisp and caramelised.

Meanwhile, make the red pepper sauce. Put the peppers on a baking tray, roast for 25 minutes, then transfer to a bowl and cover with a plate. After a few minutes, peel away the skins and seeds. Put the peppers, vinegar and garlic in a food processor; whizz to a paste. Tip into a bowl and add the oil; season with salt. If you feel the sauce is bitter, add a pinch of sugar.

When the lamb is nearly ready, blanch the samphire in a pan of boiling water for 2-3 minutes, then drain in a colander and cool under running water. Transfer the lamb to a plate. Toss the samphire and olives into the roasting tin with the veg and serve as a base for the lamb, with the red pepper sauce alongside. Served with sautéed spring greens, if liked.