Lamb baked in clay pots with aubergine and potatoes (Chanakhi)

1. Cut the lamb shoulder into 4 cm pieces and season with salt and pepper; cut the aubergines into large cubes, salt them, leave for 15 minutes, then squeeze out; peel and dice the potatoes, cut the peppers into strips and the onions into half-moons.

2. Grate half the tomatoes (the skin stays in your hand) and slice the rest; finely chop the garlic, coriander and basil and mix together.

3. Preheat the oven to 180 °C; put onion in the bottom of 4 small clay pots (or one large lidded clay or cast-iron pot), then the lamb, then layers of potato, aubergine and pepper – salt each layer and sprinkle with the herb mixture.

4. Lay the tomato slices on top, pour over the grated tomato and 3-4 tablespoons of water per pot, and cover.

5. Bake for 2 hours until the meat is meltingly tender and the vegetables are silky and have taken on each other's flavours; uncover for the last 15 minutes.

6. Serve piping hot straight from the pots, sprinkled with the remaining fresh herbs, with fresh bread for the thick juices.

Tip: Chanakhi is Georgia's "put it in the oven and forget it" dish: no stirring needed, the layers cook together on their own. Salting the aubergine is optional, but it makes them release less liquid.