Hogget is simply meat from a sheep between one and two years old – it’s incredibly flavoursome and makes a delicious pot-roast.
Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas 4. Heat one tablespoon of the oil in a large flame-proof casserole. Add the chopped onion, celery, carrots, parsnips and turnips to the casserole and cook for five minutes over a medium heat, stirring constantly until lightly browned. Stir in the garlic and cook for a few seconds more, stirring. Remove with a slotted spoon, transfer to a plate and set aside.
Pour the remaining oil into the casserole, put the hogget on a board and season well with one teaspoon of salt and lots of ground black pepper. Add the hogget to the casserole and brown on all sides over a medium heat for 8-10 minutes, turning every few minutes until golden-brown.
Pour over the cider and stock, stir in the herbs and bring to a simmer. Add the bay leaf and cover the casserole with a lid. Place in the centre of the oven and cook for one hour.
Remove the casserole from the oven and turn the hogget over. Rinse the pearl barley in a sieve under cold water then drain. Add to the casserole and stir into the stock mixture. Spoon the browned vegetables around the hogget and dunk under the liquid. Cover and return to the oven for a further 1½ hours, or until the hogget is very tender and the sauce has thickened, stirring and turning the hogget after 45 minutes.
Put the hogget on a board and carve into thick slices. Spoon the barley and vegetables onto six warmed plates. Top with the lamb and scatter with roughly chopped parsley to serve.
