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1
Heat the oven to 140–150 °C. Place the lamb pieces bone-side down in the terracotta cutturieddhu. Tuck the garlic cloves, thyme sprigs and bay leaves beneath and around the meat. Pour in 50 ml of water — no more. The lamb is sufficiently rich in collagen and fat to generate its own braising liquid; excess water dilutes the concentrated juices the dish depends upon. The pot should smell of raw lamb, raw garlic and herb — clean and direct.
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2
Mix the flour and cold water together into a stiff, pliable paste. Roll it into a rope and press it firmly around the join between the pot and its lid, sealing the entire circumference without gap. Run a finger along the seal to confirm it is continuous — any break will allow steam to escape and destroy the sealed environment. The paste should feel dense and hold its form without cracking.
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3
Place the sealed pot in the centre of the oven. Cook for 3–4 hours at 140–150 °C without opening or disturbing the vessel. This is where the dish lives or dies: the flour seal must remain intact for the full duration — any breach collapses the 100% humidity environment inside and the concentrated juices will reduce and burn on the pot floor. Do not test, do not lift the lid. The only sign of correct progress is a faint, deepening lamb-and-herb scent that builds slowly through the kitchen.
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4
Bring the sealed pot to the table unbroken. Break the flour seal at the table with a knife or spoon. The first breath of steam that rises carries the entire concentrated character of the dish — intensely lamby, herbal and gelatinous. Ladle the extraordinary braising liquid from the pot and serve it separately as a broth. The lamb should be falling from the bone at the touch of a spoon.