The loveliest meal I might ever have eaten was milk-fed lamb, spit-roasted over an open fire.

The setting was a remote, pocket-sized hill-top restaurant in one of Italy's loveliest corners, Piedmont. The view from the huge windows of the tree-lined valley misting into the distance exerted an irresistible charm. It took us hours of lost driving to find the place, but every mouthful justified every kilometre. If the setting was magical, so was the lamb.

New-season spring lamb is one of nature's most wonderful gastronomic gifts, but boy, does the real thing come at a price. At this time of year, with the last of autumn's late lamb and hogget making way for spring lamb, it can seem eye-wateringly expensive, especially if your preference is for plump, sweet cutlets from the tender rack, or a pink roasted saddle. A leg is one of the most marvellous roasts you can enjoy too, but none of these is a snip: this is expensive meat.

You can cushion the cost, up to a point, bearing in mind that we are dealing with a premium product, by focusing on lesser cuts. A shoulder, cooked patiently in the gentle heat of a low oven, will give yielding meat as succulent as any prime cut, with the added bonus of crisp golden fat surrounding the outside. Lamb shanks might be my favourite meat to braise, an unctuous sticky treat on a chill, early-spring night. Not cheap, but cheaper, and as delicious as Piedmont.

Confit lamb shoulder with tarragon and roasting juices

Recipes serve 6

1 shoulder of lamb, boned, rolled and tied, about 1.5kg

2 carrots, peeled and diced

1 onion, peeled and diced

A sprig each of thyme and rosemary

8 black peppercorns

A head of garlic, cut open in half

4 plum tomatoes, cut in half

200ml olive oil

2 dessertspoons of chopped tarragon

Method

1 Heat the oven to 150c/gas mark two and heat a wide frying pan for one minute then add a spoonful of olive oil. Rub salt over the outside of the lamb then place into the pan to brown, turning over so it is browned on all surfaces, then remove the lamb and set aside. Add the garlic to the same pan, with the cut faces of the garlic head downwards in the oil. Allow to brown for a minute then turn over and add the herbs, taking care they do not spit. Fry them for one minute, adding a little more oil if the pan seems dry then add the carrot. Fry this for a few minutes, allowing it to take on a little brown colour, stir regularly. Then add the onion and tomatoes, fry gently while stirring regularly.

2 Once the vegetables have been fried for 10 minutes, transfer them to a deep roasting dish. Place the browned lamb on top of the vegetables. Scatter the peppercorns then pour the rest of the olive oil over the lamb. Cover with tin foil and place in the oven.

3 Cook for an hour then remove from the oven. Carefully lift back the tin foil and turn the meat over onto the other side. Spoon some of the oil in the base of the pan over the meat then recover with the tin foil and return to the oven. Continue cooking for four hours, turning every hour. The meat should look golden brown all over. If necessary, remove the tin foil for the last 15 minutes. You can also turn off the oven and leave the lamb to stand inside for 20 minutes.

4 Remove the meat from the oven but leave to stand in the roasting tray. Spoon olive oil and juices over the meat one final time then cover loosely with tin foil and allow to stand for 20 minutes.

5 To serve, lift the meat onto a carving board and press the roasting juices through a sieve into a sauce boat. Add the chopped tarragon to the sauce, carve hunks of meat then serve.

Braised lamb shanks with green olives and tomatoes

4 lamb shanks

2 carrots, peeled and finely sliced

1 small onion, cut into roughly 1cm pieces

1 stick of celery, cut into 1cm half moons

6 cloves of garlic, peeled

5 black peppercorns

A sprig of thyme and rosemary

3-4 rounded desertspoons of pitted green olives

4 plum tomatoes, skinned, quartered and deseeded and cut into 1cm dice (reserve the pulp)

1 rounded dessertspoon of tomato puree

700ml brown chicken stock

150ml white wine

Olive oil

Dessert spoon of chopped tarragon

To finish and serve

Method

1 Pre-heat the oven to 180c/gas mark four.

2 Heat a wide cast iron oven-proof casserole dish over a moderate flame for one minute. Add a little oil. Season the lamb shanks lightly with salt then brown in the oil on all surfaces. Set aside the lamb.

3 Add the thyme and rosemary with the garlic to the oil and fry for half a minute to scent the oil then add the carrots. Fry for five minutes, stirring regularly, then add the onion and celery. Sweat these for a further three or four minutes then add the peppercorns, the reserved tomato pulp and tomato puree, stirring in thoroughly. Sweat for two minutes.

4 Add the wine and bring to the boil then allow to simmer until the liquid has reduced by half. Now return the lamb to the pan, standing them upright is often the best way so they support each other in the pan. Add the stock, making sure it covers the meat (if necessary add more stock or top up with water) then cover with tin foil. Transfer to the oven and cook for 70-80 minutes until the meat is tender and cooked fully. Baste the meat during cooking.

5 When the meat is done remove the pot from the oven and allow to stand for 20 minutes, still covered.

6 Carefully lift the meat out of the liquid, holding the tip of the bone in one hand and using a slotted spoon under the meat to support each one as you remove them. Cover with tin foil to keep warm. Pass the cooking liquid through a fine sieve into a saucepan. Heat the liquid to a simmer, skimming off any impurities, until the liquid evaporates down to a sauce, season according to taste. Add a dash of vinegar if very rich. Return the lamb to the pan to keep warm.

7 To serve, add the olives and tomatoes to the warm sauce and swirl in the tarragon. Place the lamb shanks on four serving dishes and spoon the sauce all over, making sure the olives and tomatoes are evenly shared. Then serve with couscous perhaps or grilled fennel.