SLOW COOKED LAMB SHOULDER, POTATOES, FENNEL & ROOT VEGETABLES WITH MIDDLE EAST FLAVOURS AND LEMON

WinterMains

Jun 16

Recipe

This slow-cooked lamb shoulder is a simple one-pot winter wonder meal – only 15 minutes preparation and four hours in the oven. It can be prepared a day ahead and reheated. Serve with fresh greens.

Serves 4

For the marinade, place all the ingredients in a food processor and blend until a coarse paste forms. Transfer to a large bowl. Add the lamb and rub the paste all over to coat well. Cover the bowl and refrigerate for at least 3 hours to overnight.

Remove meat from fridge 30 minutes to an hour before cooking. Preheat oven to 140°C fan forced.

Place the potatoes, onions, fennel, parsnip, carrot and lemon, in the base of a deep sided roasting dish, about 30 x 20cm. Sprinkle over salt and pour in the stock, toss to combine and spread vegetables evenly. Place the lamb shoulder (coated with all the marinade) fat side upwards on top of the vegetables. Cover with a sheet of baking paper, then a layer of a double sheet of foil, large enough to then seal around the edges.

Transfer to the oven. Cook for 3 ½ -4 hours, basting the meat every hour with the cooking liquid. The meat is ready when tender and easily pulls apart using a fork. Remove the foil and baking paper, crank up the oven to 160°C fan-forced and return dish to cook another 15-20 minutes to brown the top of lamb until dark golden and edges of the vegetables caramelise. Remove from oven, then carefully pour the cooking juices into a jug, cover the meat and vegetables loosely with the foil and rest for 15 minutes. Place the jug in the freezer while the meat is resting.

The meat can be carved into thick pieces or pulled apart into large chunks. Transfer to a serving platter along with the vegetables. Meanwhile collect the jug from the freezer, the fat would have risen to the top and solidified enough to easily remove and discard. Quickly reheat the cooking juices in a small saucepan over high heat or in a microwave. Pass around the hot cooking juices to pour over the lamb and vegetables. Serve with a salad of fresh green leaves.