Thank you France for being the inspiration for this dish, although I'm sure that many French chefs will be horrified at the thought of using lamb instead of beef in one of their most popular and world-loved dishes.

But knowing them, they will probably write it off as yet another bit of madness from darkest Africa.

Well, I bet if any Frenchman who wears an apron and a funny hat and spends most of his life in a hot kitchen, tastes my lamb bourguignon he will agree that it is actually most superb.

I usually use cubes cut from a leg of lamb, but strips of meaty rib also taste fantastic.

Making this dish takes time, but it's very simple. For most of the time you just let it simmer along to create its own lovely flavour without any assistance from you.

To serve 4-6 portions you need:

Instructions:

In a big pot melt the butter and braise the onions quickly.

Take the mushrooms out of the pot and set aside.

In the same butter as the onions were braised in, brown the meat quickly over high heat.

Add the bacon, garlic, mushrooms and carrots and stir well.

Cook for one to two minutes then add the red wine.

Use a wooden spoon to loosen all the bits at the bottom of the pan left over from the frying process.

Add all the rest of the ingredients except the parsley and the onions, cover and let it simmer for 90 minutes.

Add salt and black pepper to taste, plus the onions.

Continue simmering until meat is tender.

Sprinkle with parsley just before serving.

You can serve mashed potatoes or boiled rice with this dish and remember — bread is always popular with a rich belly-warming winter stew.

Wine recommendation:

Mike of Wine Concepts suggests the The High Road 2005 Stellenbosch with this dish. This well-balanced blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Cabernet Franc offers aromas of plum and dark chocolate following onto a deliciously rich palate of ripe soft tannins with an abundance of cherry and black berry fruit.