Slow-Cooked Lamb Shoulder with Cherry Tomatoes & Lemon

Slow-cooked lamb shoulder

Recipe courtesy of Wholesome Made Easy by Sarah Pound, Macmillan, RRP $49.00

One of my favourite entertaining dishes, I love that I can pop this on to slow cook the day before and then add the finishing touches in the last hour before my guests arrive. Simple and effortless but the result is outstanding: melt-in-your-mouth lamb with a great burst of flavour from the cherry tomatoes.

Slow-cooked lamb shoulderPREP TIME 20 minutes  |  COOK TIME 4 3/4 hours–5 1/2 hours  |  SERVES 6

Ingredients

  • 1 x bone-in lamb shoulder (about 1.8–2 kg)
  • salt flakes and freshly ground black pepper
  • 80 ml (1/3 cup) extra-virgin olive oil
  • 10 garlic cloves, smashed and peeled
  • 4 golden shallots, roughly chopped
  • 1 large handful each of rosemary and thyme sprigs
  • 400 ml chicken stock or water
  • 180 ml (3/4 cup) dry white wine
  • 400 g cherry tomatoes
  • zest and juice of 1 large lemon
  • flat-leaf parsley leaves, to serve

Method

1 Preheat the oven to 220°C (fan-forced).

2 Season the lamb generously with salt and pepper. Place in a large, deep roasting tin and drizzle the olive oil on top. Roast for 30 minutes, until golden brown. Remove from the oven.

3 Reduce the oven temperature to 150°C (fan-forced). Add the garlic, shallot, rosemary, thyme, stock or water and wine to the tin. Cover tightly with foil and return to the oven for 3 1/2–4 hours, basting once or twice during the cooking period.

4 Remove the lamb from the oven, discard the foil and add the cherry tomatoes, lemon zest and lemon juice to the tin. Return to the oven for another 45 minutes to 1 hour, until the tomatoes are soft and the lamb is falling-apart tender.

5 Shred the lamb gently with two forks, then mix it with the juices and tomatoes in the tin. Taste and adjust the seasoning. Spoon the roasting juices over the top, scatter on the parsley and serve.

OPTIONAL TWISTS

  • If you don’t have shallots, use two onions, cut into wedges.
  • Swap the white wine for extra stock, if preferred.
  • The leftover lamb and sauce make an incredible pasta dish the next day – toss through cooked pappardelle or risoni, adding a little reserved pasta cooking water if needed.

MAKE AHEAD

For a richer flavour, prepare the lamb a day in advance, refrigerate overnight, then reheat slowly in the oven before serving.