My Jamie Oliver-Inspired SUBLIME Four Hour Lamb is the dish I make most often.
Honestly! This baby is ridiculously easy to prepare but it tastes so good.
I love roasting because you can give it love, get it in the oven and go and play with the kids or whatever you’ve got to do, and then hours later you’ve got a lovely dinner. – Jamie Oliver
This slow-cooked lamb dish makes me think of my Dad. Not for him, lamb cooked ‘pink’. He likes it falling off the bone, thank you very much.
And so, this lamb does just that. Cooked long and slow in its own juices. Simply flavoured with two of lamb’s all-time best accompanying flavours – garlic and rosemary.
And if you happen to live in the northern hemisphere and you’re one of those poor, unfortunate peeps who has never tried lamb from New Zealand or Australia, please believe me when I tell you that it is the most fabulous of proteins when it comes from happy wee lambs who have frolicked in the sunshine and fed on green grass free of nasties…
If you spot lamb shoulder or a leg, or even lamb shanks, at your local Whole Foods – snap that baby up! I promise you won’t regret it.
It’s about the easiest thing in the world to prepare. I’m not kidding when I tell you it is an absolute doddle. But, what you end up with is the most unctuous, falling-off-the-bone juiciness that you’ll wonder why you haven’t slow-cooked a leg or shoulder of lamb before.
If you are not a cook, and you make this when you’re having friends over for a meal, they’ll think you’re Julia Child in the making. Truly. It’s THAT good.
And, if you’re feeling experimental, you could even cook it on your barbecue…
When we go on our weekly pilgrimage to the farmers market, we have recently been in the habit of picking up a cut of pork from the lovely Farmer Greg at Linga Longa. Their pork is so very, very good, it has fast become a staple here at JFC central. My favourite is whipping up an Easy Peasy, Lemon Squeezy Pork Neck (or butt, if you’re a little further north.) So, you can imagine our disappointment when we discovered they had run out recently. Clearly we are not the only Linga Longa fans in Sydney… A little bit further down the way from Farmer Greg is Dan the Lamb Man from Mimosa Vallley Lamb. I lurve Dan the Lamb Man’s lamb! So, this week – lamb it was.
This lamb recipe is different. This is the kind of dish that fills your home with smells that remind you of your childhood. And then, you are left with lovely lamb to throw into tomorrow’s shepherd’s pie or breakfast hash or hot patootie hashies or even a simple salad.
I usually serve our four-hour lamb with a generous portion of essentials roasted vegetables and a side of fermented vegetables.
- 1 x 2-kilo leg or shoulder of the best quality, happy & hormone-free lamb (approximately)
- 1 x bunch fresh rosemary
- 8 x cloves of garlic, unpeeled
- 1 x tablespoon fat (I used beef tallow)
- sea salt and freshly ground black pepper (omit pepper for AIP elimination)
- 1 x tablespoon tapioca starch/arrowroot powder (If you're not on AIP, use your preferred flour)
- 375 ml bone broth
- 1 x bunch fresh mint, finely chopped
- 2 x tablespoons red wine vinegar
- Heat your oven to 220°C/425°F. Lay your leg of lamb on a cutting board and score the fat across the top.
- Place half the sprigs of rosemary and four of the unpeeled garlic cloves in the bottom of a high sided roasting dish. My lamb fits nicely into my Le Creuset (dutch oven. Place your lamb on top.
- Melt your fat and drizzle over the scored fat of your meat. Generously season with salt and pepper (if tolerated). Place the remaining rosemary and unpeeled garlic cloves on top of the meat. Cover your roasting dish - either with a lid or firmly with foil and pop it into the oven. As soon as you close the oven door, reduce the heat to 160°C/320°F.
- Walk away for four hours and let the meat, garlic and rosemary work their magic. Your home will smell amazing.
- Remove the lamb from the roasting dish and onto a carving board. Cover with foil and allow to rest.
- Discard the rosemary stalks. Carefully drain excess fat into a bowl and set aside. Squish the garlic cloves to remove the flesh. Discard the skins. Put the dish on the stove over medium heat.
- Mix the starch with a little bone broth and add to your roasting pan. Allow to bubble for a minute.
- Add the rest of the bone broth, making sure you scrape all the meaty bits off the bottom with a wooden spoon. Turn the heat down and allow to simmer for a few minutes.
- While your gravy is cooking, shred the lamb with two forks.Add the chopped mint and red wine vinegar to your sauce. Taste for seasoning. Serve!
E N J O Y !
This recipe is featured over at the Phoenix Helix AIP Recipe Roundtable.
(first published in April 2014)
Delicious, a slowly cooked lamb is a favourite in our casa too!
Kirsty – it’s more popular than I realised here. I seem to be repeating myself when it comes to yummy lamb dishes. Maybe its the Kiwi in me…?
Too yum …! I think I’ll have to adapt it to shanks otherwise how can I last till I have a dinner for 6?
Dad tells me he has dispatched my Mum to pick up a 2 kilo leg of lamb. He is cooking this tonight! A smaller leg would work just as well (and less fatty than a shank, I think)
BUT, if it’s shanks you’re after, check out THIS one: http://thissydneylife.wordpress.com/2014/04/07/ridiculously-good-herbed-slow-cooked-lamb-shanks/. You can definitely freeze portion-sized leftovers for future consumption! 🙂
That’s true – I like the idea of frozen portions. Now I’m off to see your shanks … 🙂
Seriously. I *need* lamb 🙁 This sounds AMAZING!
Erin – my Dad informs me this is now his ‘signature dish’. This one’s a winner.
I love the idea of putting the rosemary in the bottom of the pan & laying the lamb on top. I think I’ll try this this weekend!
Petra – for such a simple recipe, I reckon the results are amazing.
Did you manage to try it over the weekend?