Whenever I put a slow-roast lamb shoulder on the table, it makes everyone so happy, especially my fellow Kiwis. It’s a protein we grew up loving, which became the special dish at the family meal on a Sunday. It’s a dish I’ve made many times during my time as a chef and it never gets old. I think everyone should learn how to braise or slow-cook meat as there’s room for error — because we’re cooking it for so long, it’s unlikely that you’ll overcook it or undercook it, making it great for a big family meal. For me, you have to have it with braised shallots to add sweetness to the dish, then pair it with mash or some roast potatoes and grilled broccolini or green beans.
Serves: 6
INGREDIENTS
1.2-kilogram lamb shoulder, bone in
sea salt and ground pepper
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 carrot, peeled and cut into chunks
1 brown onion, peeled and quartered
1 small bunch of thyme
150ml balsamic vinegar
1 litre chicken stock
BRAISED SHALLOTS
6 banana shallots
1 tablespoon olive oil
40 grams butter
50ml balsamic vinegar
TO SERVE
1 tablespoon each cornflour and water
mashed potatoes and steamed green beans, optional
METHOD
Score the top of the lamb in a diamond pattern. Season on all sides with salt.
Heat the oil in a heavy-based pot or Dutch oven over a medium-high heat. Sear the lamb on all sides, until well browned and the fat cap has rendered, about 15 minutes. Remove from the pot and set aside, leaving the oil and fat in the pot.
Preheat the oven to 100°C fan bake.
Add the carrot and onion to the same pot over a medium heat and cook, without turning, until starting to caramelise. Turn and cook on the other side. Remove the vegetables from the pot and set aside. Pour off most of the lamb fat that’s in the pot.
Return the lamb, skin side up, to the pot along with the vegetables and the thyme (reserving 3 sprigs for later) and season well with pepper. Deglaze the pot with the balsamic vinegar for 30 seconds, until cooked off a little.
Pour in the stock and cover with a tight-fitting lid or foil. Transfer to the oven and cook for 7 hours (checking it after 6 hours). Remove the lamb from the oven.
Increase the oven temperature to 180°C fan bake.
SHALLOTS: Peel the shallots, taking care to keep the root intact. Halve lengthways through the root. Season the cut sides with salt.
Put the oil and butter in a frying pan over a medium heat. Add the shallots, cut side down, arrange the reserved thyme sprigs around and cook for 2–3 minutes.
Deglaze the pan with the balsamic vinegar, then cover the shallots with a piece of baking paper (a cartouche).
Transfer to the oven and bake for 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and discard the baking paper.
TO SERVE: Carefully transfer the lamb to a serving platter.
Pour the cooking liquid through a sieve into a medium pot set over a medium heat and bring just to a boil. Taste for seasoning.
Stir the cornflour and water together until smooth. Whisk into the cooking liquid sauce and cook for 1–2 minutes until the sauce thickens slightly.
Carefully transfer the shallots to the serving platter with lamb. Drizzle with some of the gravy, then serve the rest on the side.
Serve with mashed potatoes and some steamed green beans, if desired.
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latest issue:
127
In Dream Escape, we journey from Japan and Morocco to Italy, India and beyond, sharing recipes inspired by travel, heritage and comfort. We celebrate the champions of the Outstanding Food Producer Awards, explore the stories and recipes of chefs shaped by their cultural roots, and warm up with everything from West African soups and slow-braised lamb to porchetta, butter chicken and beef noodle soup. Alongside destination menus, Scandinavian sweets and cosy pub classics, Chrisanne Terblanche shares her favourite street-side dining spots in Bangkok, while Yvonne Lorkin explores red wine varietals. This issue, we invite you to slow down, turn the pages and escape through food.