Easy Sunday, Slow Roast Shoulder of Lamb

By tabitha13

As it’s a Sunday and for many the end of a busy week,  Halloween parties and perhaps bonfire nights and half term this is another very easy but delicious roast.

Shoulder of lamb can be under rated and if quickly or over cooked is not a hit with me.  But given a lot of time ,a little care and to be honest minimal effort it is a delicious and very affordable joint that tastes anything but.

I like to do this with variety of veggies but today I’m sharing my simplest options. Roast potatoes,  that cook along side the lamb and what I call Granny’s retro carrot and courgette that take minutes and can be cooked whilst you make the gravy,

The pictures here don’t do this dish justice (I was hungry!).  But you can make it look a lot better when you plate it up and more importantly it tastes like a cosy winter Sunday roast should nourishing and comforting whilst the meat literally falls off the bone.

Serves 4-6 with left over meat

1.5kg – 2kg Shoulder of Lamb

1 x bulb of Garlic

Olive oil

1 x bunch of fresh Rosemary finely chopped (or 4 tablespoons of dried)

400g roasting potatoes such as maris piper peeled and chopped

400g sweet potatoes peeled and chopped

2 x courgettes

2 x carrots peeled

25g butter

1-2 x table spoon(s) of chopped parsley

Shoulder of Lamb

1. pre-heat the oven at its highest temperature

2. score the fat on the lamb with a sharp knife and rub with olive plenty of salt (Maldon if you’ve got it), and then sprinkle with two thirds of the chopped rosemary

3. bash each of the garlic cloves the flat end of a kitchen knife handle

4. scatter the garlic cloves and rest of the rosemary on the bottom of a roasting dish

5. turn the oven down to 170c, 325f or gas mark 3

6. place the lamb on top of the garlic and rosemary give it one final season with salt and pepper and cover tightly with kitchen foil and place in the oven

7. leave in the oven for 3-4 hours – until the meat easily falls of the bone

8. cover well and leave to rest for at least 15 mins, up to 45 mins before carving or more accurately help fall off the bone

9. cook your gravy and veg (see below)

Roast Potatoes

As the oven is on at a low heat I don’t par boil these potatoes but cook them for longer in the oven. If you have two ovens you could cook these them for less time and par boil.  I like the different texture you get roasting potatoes like this.

1. Approx. half way through cooking your lamb assemble your potatoes mixed together on a baking tray and cover with olive oil

2. Place in the oven for at least 1.5 hours

Granny’s Retro Carrots and Courgettes 

Inspired by a veg side dish my Granny used to buy from Marks and Spenser’s in the 80’s were the carrots and courgettes were pre- grated and you simply heated them up with the pre-made parsley butter.

I believe M&S still do a version of this today but microwave only. I once bought it with high expectations of transporting myself back in time to my Granny’s dinning room table only to find it tasted of plastic. And I was left feeling I’d just eaten a pre-packaged processed astronaut type of food and not  anything that resembled any real vegetables.

1. grate the carrots and courgettes

2. heat some olive oil in a pan

3. gently fry the carrots and courgettes for 2-3 mins

4. add the butter and continue gently frying for 1-2 mins

5. add the parsley and stir through for a further 1 min

you can do all of this in advance and simply re-heat with a knob of butter before you eat.

Gravy

1. whilst the meat is resting scoop out the fat from the juices in the pan

2. add the rest of the juices to a small pan and squeeze in the roasted garlic out of its skins

3. add a small glass of wine (red or white) and a small glass of water bring to the boil

4. add a tablespoon of gluten-free flour and leave to simmer for at least ten mins

5. taste and season with salt and pepper and add a splash or too of water if you think it needs it and warm through before severing

6. serve with your lamb, potatoes, veg and maybe home made cranberry or mint sauce (recipe’s to follow).

What Sunday’s should be, easy, delicious,  rejuvenating and nourishing for the soul.