This article was written for Annabel & Grace, which is now part of Rest Less.
SLOW COOKED SHOULDER OF LAMB WITH ROASTED VEGETABLES
Ingredients serves 8 – 10
2.25kg shoulder of lamb, bone in
olive oil, sea salt, freshly ground pepper
I whole bulb of garlic, broken into cloves
I handful fresh rosemary sprigs
2 red onions, peeled and quartered
3 carrots, peeled and roughly chopped
2 sticks celery, cut into pieces
1 large leek, or 2-3 baby ones. trimmed and cut into pieces
1 handful ripe tomatoes, halved
2 fresh bay leaves
1 handful fresh thyme sprigs
2 x 400g tinned plum tomatoes
1 bottle red wine
Method:
Preheat oven to 200ºC/400ºF/gas6.
Rub the lamb with oil, salt & pepper & put it into a roasting tray. Using a sharp knife, make small incisions all over the lamb and poke rosemary leaves and some quartered cloves of garlic into the holes. Add rest of cloves, the onions, carrots, celery, leeks and fresh tomatoes to the tray, then tuck the remaining herbs under the meat.
Pour the tinned tomatoes over the top, followed by the wine. Cover the tray tightly with a double layer of foil and put it into the oven.
If using an electric or gas turn the oven temperature to 170ºC/325ºF/gas 3 and cook for 3½ to 4 hours. (I popped mine in the baking oven of my 4-door Aga and left it there for 6 hours!) The lamb should be soft, melting and sticky and you can pull it apart with a fork.
Gently break up the meat, pull out the bones, and extract any herb stalks, squeeze the garlic out of the skins and mush it in. Shred the lamb, check the seasoning and serve with crispy roast potatoes.
Like lamb? Lots more tried & tasted lamb recipes where this one came from: see them here