Tuscan lamb

Warm two tablespoons of the oil in a heavy pan (with a lid) over medium heat. When hot, add lamb and fry in batches until sealed and browned on all sides. Scoop lamb out of pan and set aside.Add the rest of the oil to the pan. When hot, stir in onions, garlic, carrot, and celery and cook until softened and turning lightly golden, about five minutes.Pour in wine and bring to the boil. Vigorously scrape up any crusty, caramelised juices from the bottom of the pan and let the wine boil hard for a minute or two, so that all the alcohol bubbles away.Stir in the tomatoes, then adjust the heat so that the liquid barely simmers. Return the lamb to the pan and sprinkle over the chilli and thyme. As soon as the braise starts to bubble, turn down the heat to low and let barely simmer on top of the stove or in a 150ºC/gas mark 2 oven until the lamb is meltingly tender, about 1.5 to two hours.Add the olives for the last 15 minutes of cooking. Add salt and pepper to taste, then serve hot on warmed plates with parsley mash, or celeriac and nutmeg timbales. Recipe credit: Eunice PowerPhotography credit: Harry Weir