Merguez-spiced Slow Roast Shoulder of Lamb

Name: Merguez-spiced Slow Roast Shoulder of Lamb
Total time: 360 s
Yield: 6 servings
Cuisine: British
Ingredients: 1 shoulder of lamb; 1 tsp cumin seeds; 2 tsp coriander seeds; 1 tsp fennel seeds; 1 tsp black peppercorns; pinch cayenne or dried chilli; 2 tsp smoked paprika; 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped; leaves from 2 spikes of rosemary or 1 tsp dried rosemary; 2 tsp sea salt; 2 tbsp olive oil; 1 tbsp white or red vinegar

Joanne @JoanneinBath

Bath, UK

Shoulder of lamb is much more economical than leg of lamb but it does need to be cooked slowly. This is a deliciously flavoured dish from Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall, which is inspired by the North African spices used to make merguez sausages. I served it with cumin-spiked rice but you could also accompany it with mashed potatoes and greens as a Sunday roast as it makes lots of beautiful gravy.

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Ingredients

6 mins

6 servings

1shoulder of lamb
1 tspcumin seeds
2 tspcoriander seeds
1 tspfennel seeds
1 tspblack peppercorns
pinchcayenne or dried chilli
2 tspsmoked paprika
2garlic cloves, finely chopped
leavesfrom 2 spikes of rosemary or 1 tsp dried rosemary
2 tspsea salt
2 tbspolive oil
1 tbspwhite or red vinegar

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Steps

6 mins

1

Place the cumin, coriander and fennel seeds and black peppercorns in a pestle and mortar and crush. Add the cayenne or chilli, smoked paprika, chopped garlic, rosemary, salt and olive oil and mix together to make a rub. Preheat the oven to 220C/Gas 7.
2

Place the lamb in a roasting tin and score slits all over the top with a sharp knife. Scrape the spice mix on top of the lamb and use your hands to rub it in all over, bottom and top, and pushing it into the slits.
3

Place the lamb in the hot oven and roast for about 25 minutes until smoking and slightly scorched on top. Remove from the oven. Reduce the temperature to 120C/Gas 1/2. Add the vinegar and a couple of glasses of water to the roasting tin (don't pour it over the meat). Cover with foil and return to the oven.
4

Cook the lamb slowly for 5-6 hours then remove from the oven and leave to rest for 20 minutes. Transfer the gravy to a pan and reduce or thicken if you wish. Shred the lamb, serve piled on top of cumin-spiked rice and with some hot juices drizzled over.
5

Leftovers can be frozen in the rest of the gravy or used the next day in wraps with sliced red pepper and sweet chilli sauce, or in a pilaf, or all three! There's even enough meat for the dog...

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Joanne @JoanneinBath

on February 24, 2016 21:23

Bath, UK

I enjoy cooking mostly because I like eating, but also because it's a great way to relax at the end of the day. I work in book publishing and especially enjoy creating cookbooks written by cooks who love cooking and sharing food rather than creating show stopping dishes that take days to put together. As Nigel Slater would say; 'we are, after all, simply making ourselves something to eat'. I live with my lovely daughter Isobel who rarely pays any kind of compliment but will occasionally admit something I've cooked was quite nice, and our dog Piper, who will eat anything.