Slow Braised Lamb Shoulder with Preserved Lemon & Spices
Lamb shoulder is a cheaper cut of meat than a lamb leg so given the opportunity, I usually go for this.
Not only is the cut of meat cheaper, I feel that it has a deeper flavour too, so, win win!
The mix of spices and preserved lemon gives the lamb an Indian flavour with hints of Moroccan, in my mind, a delightful combination.
The flavours permeate into the flesh of the lamb and when it’s time to pull the lamb from the bone, it falls away into succulent mouth sized pieces.
I like it with my large, crispy paprika wedges, and all the juice and fat that’s left in the pot, I pour over the potatoes for the past 30 minutes of cooking, so that flavour doesn’t go to waste.
Go on, give it a go and enjoy your sweet life!
All you need is a fork to help it fall away from the bone
What You Need
1 Large Lamb Shoulder – no smaller than 1.5kg – See Tip Box
1 Large Preserved Lemon
1 Small Red Onion - Peeled and roughly chopped
2 Large Garlic Cloves - Peeled
2tsp Turmeric
2 tsp Paprika
2 tsp Olive Oil
2 tsp Ground Cumin
2 tsp Ground Coriander
1 tbsp Date Molasses – See Tip box
Malden Sea Salt
Fresh Ground Black Pepper
The paste os loose and spreadable
How It’s Done
Heat the oven to 250c
Put the date molasses aside along with the salt, pepper, oil, and lamb.
Place everything else into a blender or mortar and pestle and blitz until what’s left is a very loose paste.
Use a very sharp knife and make lots of slits in the skin of the lamb shoulder
Rub the paste all over the skin of the lamb, grind lots of black pepper over the top of the lamb and sprinkle a good amount of Malden Sea salt over the skin too.
Rub the paste all over the skin of the lamb
Place it into an oven proof roasting tin or dish that has a tight-fitting lid.
Pour the date molasses into the dish along with the olive oil and 150ml of water.
Lay a sheet of non-stick baking parchment on top of the lamb and then a sheet of foil on top of that.
A sheet of non-stick parchment and a layer of foil under the lid.
Put the lid on the pot and place the pot into the hot oven.
Turn the oven down to 180c.
Let the lamb cook for 3 hours, until the lamb is tender and falls away from the bone easily.
Let the lamb rest for ten minutes before serving – See Tip Box
The paper keeps all that moisture in the meat.
Tip Box
Lamb Shoulder – This works really well with a nice large leg of lamb too
Date Molasses – The molasses poured into the pot adds a sweetness to the meat, but just leave it out altogether if it’s not in your pantry.
Serving – The lamb will fall away from the bone, so carving isn’t the way to serve this. Just use a couple of forks to pull the bone away.
Leftovers – If there are leftovers of the lamb, use them the next day in a great shepherd’s pie or maybe a lamb and noodle stir fry.
