Trim the roots and top 3cm off the leeks. Halve them, rinse out any grit and finely slice them. Warm a large pan over a medium-low heat for 2 mins, then add the leeks with ½ tbsp oil and a pinch of salt and pepper. Fry for 5 mins, stirring occasionally, till the leek has started to soften.

While the leek fries, trim the dry ends off the celery sticks and finely slice the celery. Finely chop the courgettes, or coarsely grate them. Stir the celery and courgette into the leeks. Fry for another 5 mins, stirring now and then, till all the veg have softened a little.

While the veg fry, peel and crush or grate the garlic. Finely grate the zest from the lemon. Fill and boil your kettle. Crumble the stock cube into a heatproof jug and pour in 450ml boiling water. Stir to dissolve the stock cube.

Add the garlic and lemon zest to the pan along with the pearl barley. Give everything a good stir, then pour in the stock. Pop on a lid, turn up the heat and bring to the boil. Once boiling, turn the heat back down, cover and simmer for 12-15 mins till the barley is almost cooked – it should still be a little chewy when you bite into a piece.

While the barley simmers, pick the soft leaves off the tarragon sprigs and roughly chop them. Snap the woody ends off the asparagus and chop the tender tips into 1cm-long chunks.

Add the asparagus and most of the tarragon leaves to the pan. Stir, then simmer, without the lid, for 3-4 more mins. The pearl barley should be tender, but still with a little chew, and most (but not all) of the stock absorbed.

Add a squeeze of lemon juice to the risotto. Taste and add more salt, pepper or lemon juice if you think it needs it. Spoon the risotto and its stock into a couple of warm bowls, and top with the lamb’s lettuce and reserved tarragon to serve.