Lemony-garlicky lamb stew with a Greek influence

Method

1. Begin by picking over your lamb, remove any tough tendons and large bits of fat and then cut into rough 1 inch cubes.
2. Half the onions and then slice into half-moons. Thinly slice the garlic cloves. Put both into an oven-proof casserole dish or tagine with the lamb. If you are using mushrooms then give them a quick wipe and cut into quarters and add to the same dish.
3. Squeeze the juice of all your lemons over the mixture - if they are very juicy you may only need 2 lemons but I find three is usually better. Add a squirt of tomato puree and a slosh of olive oil. Stir vigorously so that the lamb is well mixed with the onions and garlic and the whole lot is totally coated in the lemon/tomato mixture.
4. Now take your thyme twigs and tie them into a bunch with a piece of string - the string will be cooked so please don't use plastic or coloured twine, just plain parcel string is best.
5. Poke the bunch down in the middle of the marinading meat, cover and refrigerate - ideally overnight but an hour or two is fine.
6. When you are ready to cook, poke the meat to check it's defrosted and if you have any white wine lying around, add a glass or two to loosen the marinade. Otherwise a glass of water will do fine.
7. Put in a medium oven (160-180) for at least a couple of hours.
8. Delicious served with plain rice or couscous and a large salad.