Method

Place a large, oven-proof casserole dish over a medium heat and add a tablespoon of the oil, letting it warm briefly before adding the prepared onion, carrot, garlic and celery. Lower the heat a little and cook the vegetables for about ten minutes, stirring every so often, until they have softened and the onion is translucent.

While the veg cooks, put a large frying pan over a medium-high heat and add another tablespoon of oil. Put the diced lamb into the hot oil and season well with salt and pepper, then cook until the meat is well browned on all sides (you will probably need to do this in batches; when each batch of lamb is ready, add it to the casserole dish containing the cooking vegetables).

When you have cooked all the lamb and added it to the veg, pre-heat the oven to 130°C (Gas Mark ½) and fill and boil your kettle. Put the frying pan back on a medium heat, then carefully pour in the cider and let it sizzle briefly while you quickly scrape around the pan with a wooden spoon, loosening any bits of meat left on the bottom. Empty the frying pan into the casserole dish, then add the mustard, thyme and bay leaves. Pour in enough hot water from the kettle to just cover the contents of the dish, then increase the heat and bring it all up to a simmer.

As soon as it starts bubbling, transfer the casserole dish to the hot oven and leave to cook. After an hour, check to see if the meat is tender – it may need up to 45 minutes further cooking time.

When you are happy the meat is ready, take the dish out of the oven, add salt and pepper to taste, then serve.