Method

1. Put the lamb shanks and the water into a large pan. Season and add the stock cube. Bring to the boil, then cover and simmer very slowly for about 1 hour 30 minutes, until the meat is very tender. Lift the meat out onto a plate and set aside to cool slightly.

2. Add the pearl barley to the pan, bring back to the boil and simmer for 10 minutes. Add the potato and simmer for another 10 minutes. Then add the carrot, celery, onion and leek and simmer for a further 15 minutes. If at this stage the soup looks a bit too thick, add a little more water and bring back to a simmer.

3. Cut the meat from the cooked lamb shank into 5mm dice and add to the soup with the peas and the chopped parsley. Simmer for 5 minutes, check the seasoning and serve - it tastes even better if it's left to cool and then reheated the next day. It also freezes well.