Easter Shoulder of Lamb with Root Veg Mash
Primary ingredient: Hogget & Mutton, Lamb
Jess Lacey
Grazers partner and farmer
Easter Shoulder of Lamb with Root Veg Mash
Shoulder of lamb, a joint which many find daunting to tackle, but certainly one of the most flavour-filled and rewarding dishes — follow these 15 easy steps to make this delicious twist on a traditional roast leg of lamb.
Blending together a mixture of herbs and spices traditionally used with lamb (garlic, rosemary etc.), with some you wouldn’t normally think of (mustard, balsamic vinegar etc.), this slow-cooked shoulder of lamb recipe is simply prepared, slowly cooked to perfect succulence, and downright delicious!
- Prep time: 25 mins
- Cooking time: 6 hours
- Serves: Generous 6
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Ingredients
- 1 x 2 kg lamb or hogget shoulder , bone in
- 1 bunch of fresh rosemary
- 1 bulb of garlic
- 2 teaspoons English mustard
- olive oil
- 6 red onions
- 4 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- 1 tablespoon plain flour
- 1 splash of red wine
For the Root Vegetable Mash:
- 400 g carrots
- 2 cloves of garlic
- 400 g floury potatoes
- 400 g parsnips
- extra virgin olive oil
Method
- Removethelambshoulderfromthefridgeandallowto come up to room temperature.
- Preheattheovenat200oC/400oF/gas6.
- Pickmostoftherosemaryleavesintoapestleandmortar and bash with a pinch of sea salt. Peel and add 2 cloves of garlic and bash again. Muddle in the English mustard and 2 tablespoons of olive oil.
- Slashthelamballoverwithasharpknife,seasonwith black pepper, then rub the rosemary mixture all over the lamb, making sure to get into all the nooks and crannies.
- Peelandthicklyslicetheonions,thenplaceinalarge deep roasting tray with the remaining rosemary and unpeeled garlic cloves. Drizzle with the balsamic vinegar and pour in 200ml of cold water.
- Placethelambshoulderontopandroastfor20minutes.
- Carefullyremovethetrayfromtheovenandcovertightly with a double layer of tin foil, then return to the oven, turn the heat down to 160oC/315oF/gas 21⁄2, and cook for 4 hours, or until the meat pulls easily away from the bone.
- Removetheshouldertoaplatter,coverlooselywiththefoil and leave to rest.
- Skimthefatfromthetray,pickoutanddiscardthe rosemary, and squeeze the garlic cloves out of their skins.
- Place the tray on the hob over a medium heat, stir in the flour and cook for 2 minutes.
- Add 500ml of boiling water and the wine (if using), and stir well. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat to low and simmer for 15 minutes, or until thick and glossy.
- To make the root veg mash, peel and roughly chop the carrots and peel 2 cloves of garlic. Place in a large pan of boiling salted water over a medium-high heat and cook for 5 minutes.
- Meanwhile peel and roughly chop the potatoes and parsnips, add them to the pan of boiling water with the carrots then cook for a further 15 minutes, or until tender.
- Drain in a colander and leave to steam dry. Tip back into the pan, add a lug of extra virgin olive oil, then mash with a potato masher. Season to taste.
- Shred up the lamb and serve up with the mash and onion gravy. Delicious served with steamed seasonal greens.
