Recipe: Slow roasted lamb shoulder

 

Slow roasted lamb shoulder (with fennel, dried fruits, rosemary and honey)

INGREDIENTS
1 lamb shoulder (approximately) 2kg
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp flaked sea salt
8 cloves garlic (in skin)
2 lemons
1 whole star anise
800 grams potatoes (waxy varieties work well)
1 large fennel bulb
3 large carrots (peeled)
2 tablespoons honey
1 large sprig rosemary
350 grams dried fruits (e.g. a mix of pitted medjool dates, dried apricots, dried apples) soaked in two cups of hot tea until cool then strained.

METHOD
Rub the meat with olive oil and sprinkle over the cinnamon, cumin and salt.

Peel and crush four cloves of garlic and rub into the lamb.

Juice one lemon over the top, cover, and leave in the fridge for at least four hours.
Remove the lamb from the fridge one hour prior to cooking.

Heat the oven to 160°C.

Cut the potatoes into large chunks and line the base of a large casserole dish. Cut the fennel into wedges and the carrots into thick batons. Add the remaining garlic, fennel, carrots, honey, and lemon cut in half to the potatoes.

Place the lamb on top. Pour 250ml water into the dish. Wet some greaseproof paper and cover the dish before placing on casserole lid.

Bake for 3.5 hours and then add dried fruits and star anise. Bake for a further hour until the lamb is very tender.

Take the lid off the casserole dish and turn up the heat to 220 °C, baking for a further 10-15 minutes until the lamb browns a little. Remove the lamb, then return vegetables and fruits to the oven for another 10-15 minutes.

Serve and enjoy. Shanah tovah!

 

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