Preheat the oven to 160C, 140C Fan, Gas Mark 3

Season the flour with salt and pepper.

Cut the lamb into cubes and toss in the seasoned flour.

Heat the oil in a casserole dish.

Add the lamb and fry for ten minutes until dark golden brown all over.

Transfer the lamb to a bowl.

Add the ale into the casserole dish and bring to a boil, making sure you scape up all the brown bits from the bottom of the casserole.

Tip the ale over the lamb and wipe the dish with kitchen paper.

Peel and chop the vegetables into chunks

Add another tbsp oil to the dish

Add the vegetables and gently fry them with thyme and bay leaves for 10 -15 minutes until they are going golden.

Add the lamb and juice back into the dish, top up with stock and season.

Cover the casserole with a lid and cook in the oven for 2½ hours

When there are forty minutes to go make the cobbler topping.

Add ½ tsp salt to the flour in a bowl

Rub in the butter until it resembles fine breadcrumbs.

Combine the milk, mustard, thyme and half of the egg and mix into the flour.

Mix until you get a soft dough.

Knead the dough and roll out on a floured surface.

Use a biscuit cutter to make circles, knead together any left over dough and roll out and cut again until all the dough is used.

Uncover the meat the stir gently and season.

Place the cobbler pieces on top of the meat, brush with egg and return to the oven.

Remove from oven when the cobbler is golden and the lamb tender, around half an hour.