Slow Roast Lamb Shoulder

It’s currently 28 degrees in Melbourne, not quite slow-roast weather, but oh well! Having grown up in a tropical climate I got used to eating all kinds of meals whilst ignoring the suffocating heat and humidity.

This is a meal I like to make on a Sunday as you can simply put it in the oven, hours before guests come over, and then spend the afternoon relaxing.

Have a read, cook it yourself and let me know what you think. I’m unable to cook a recipe the same way twice, so would love to know what changes you make – even if it fails! 

 Slow Roast Lamb Shoulder

1.5kg deboned lamb shoulder cut into 3cm chunks (you can get your butcher to do this for you)
1 head of garlic
1 red onion
4 vine-ripened tomatoes
Dry white wine
500g bread torn into small chunks (I used ciabatta, but you can use anything is dense enough to hold its shape)
100g grated parmesan
Few sprigs of thyme or rosemary or any herb you enjoy with lamb

Heat your oven to 170°C - 180°C (mine is a gas oven so I tend to have it a bit hotter), add some oil to a roasting pan and heat it in the oven while you do your chopping.

Roughly chop the tomatoes and onion into quarters and separate the cloves of garlic (you can leave these unpeeled for now).

Mix and coat the bread with the parmesan.

Into the hot roasting pan put your lamb shoulder chunks fat side down and scattering the onion, garlic and bread on top.

Pour over a solid glug of white wine and toss all the ingredients together.

Put the tray back into the oven for 2-3 hours. Check it every now and again, add more wine if the top looks like it drying out, turn the lamb a few times to help crisp the outside.

Service with couscous or with a nice creamy mash and some green beans with flaked almonds.

Delicious with a nice Riesling (ours was Bay of Fires) or a Pinot Noir.

Glutton