What you need
2kg lamb shoulder, garlic paste, 1garlic head, large, 8 sprigs of rosemary, 2 tbspn cumin, 2 tspn salt, juice and zest of 1 lemon, olive oil. Blitz until a smooth paste
200ml wine or stock, sea salt, black pepper, freshly ground, 3-4 carrots cut into quarters, 2 peeled large onions cut into quarters, 200ml white wine or chicken stock.
Gravy, 2 tbsp flour, 2 cups/500ml chicken stock (or 1 cup red wine + 1 cup stock), salt and pepper
Method
1.Preheat the oven at 200ºC/400ºF/gas 6. Slash lamb all over with sharp knife, season with black pepper, rub garlic paste mixture all over the lamb, making sure to get into all the right places. Place onions and carrots on a large deep roasting tray. Pour in 200ml of wine or stock. Place the lamb shoulder on top and roast for 20 minutes. Carefully remove the tray from the oven and cover tightly with a double layer of tin foil, then return to the oven, turn the heat down to 160ºC/315ºF/gas 2½, and cook for 4 hours, or until the meat pulls easily away from the bone.
Remove the shoulder to a platter, cover loosely with the foil and leave to rest.
2. Tilt the pan and use a spoon to remove all but around 2 tbsp of fat (try to avoid scooping out any juices). Place the roasting pan on the stove over medium high heat. Add the flour and stir to mix in with the fat. Cook for 30 seconds.
3. Add the stock gradually and stir to combine. Use a potato masher to mash the onion and carrots.
4. Allow it to simmer for one to two minutes until it is just before your desired consistency (it will thicken a bit as it cools), then remove from the stove. Season to taste with salt and pepper, strain into bowl then transfer into gravy jug.
5. Shred up the lamb and serve up with the gravy. Delicious served with steamed seasonal greens or with warm naan bread and a green salad.
It should be a touch sticky – don’t worry if it still seems a little soft as it will firm up on cooling.
6. Remove from oven, place on a cooling rack and allow to go cold in the tin.
7. Using baking paper tails, ease from the tin and cut into 16 squares.
