Lamb and vegetables baked under an iron bell (Peka)

1. Cut the lamb shoulder into large pieces on the bone, rub with salt, pepper and the rosemary and drizzle with half the olive oil.

2. Peel the potatoes and cut them into large wedges, cut the carrots into thick rounds, the onions into quarters and the peppers into wide strips; leave the garlic cloves whole.

3. Put the vegetables in a large lidded roasting tin or cast-iron pot, season with salt, drizzle with the remaining olive oil and lay the meat on top.

4. Pour in the white wine and 200 ml of water, cover tightly (with a lid or double foil) and cook in an oven preheated to 180 °C for 2 hours – under the lid the meat steams in its own juices, just like under a traditional peka.

5. Remove the lid, turn the meat and potatoes and roast at 220 °C for another 25-30 minutes until golden and crisp.

6. Serve in the tin, drizzled with the rich pan juices, with fresh bread and a green salad.

Tip: In Dalmatia and Montenegro, peka is cooked on an open hearth under a bell-shaped iron lid (peka or sač) covered with embers – it's made the same way with veal, octopus or chicken.