Cooking the lamb slowly, on a bed of potatoes and parsnips, ensures everything becomes very tender with lots of flavor. It’s a meal in itself, but I like to serve a green vegetable, too.
Serves 6
1 whole shoulder of lamb, about 5 lb (2.25 kg), blade bone removed and tied, and excess fat removed
1 tbsp olive oil, plus extra for greasing
4 tsp chopped fresh rosemary
4 tsp chopped fresh thyme
2 garlic cloves, crushed
salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 tbsp red currant jelly
For the vegetable layer
21⁄4 lb (1 kg) fluffy potatoes, such as russet
1 lb 10 oz (750 g) parsnips
1 large onion
6 garlic cloves
a few fresh thyme sprigs
a few fresh rosemary sprigs
13⁄4 cups (425 ml) dry white wine
13⁄4 cups (425 ml) chicken stock
1. Make incisions in the top of the lamb with a small, sharp knife. Put the oil into a small bowl with 2 teaspoons each of the chopped rosemary and thyme, the garlic, 1⁄2 teaspoon salt, and a good grinding of pepper. Mix to a paste and rub all over the skin of the lamb, working it into the incisions with your fingers. (See Add flavor to the meat.)
2. Preheat the oven to 425ºF (220ºC). Prepare the vegetable layer: peel all the vegetables (including the garlic), then cut the potatoes into slices about 1⁄4in (5mm) thick, the parsnips into slices about 1⁄2in (1cm) thick, and the onion into thin rings. Brush the inside of a large roasting pan with oil. Put the vegetables into the pan with some salt and pepper and add the garlic cloves and sprigs of thyme and rosemary. Combine the wine and stock and pour over the vegetables. (See Prepare the vegetables for even cooking.)
3. Place the lamb on top of the vegetables, put the roasting pan in the oven, and roast for 40 minutes until the lamb is golden brown. Reduce the oven temperature to 325ºF (160ºC) and roast for another 4 hours.
4. Transfer the lamb to a cutting board, cover loosely with aluminum foil, and let rest for 15–20 minutes. Meanwhile, lift the vegetables out of the cooking liquid with a slotted spoon and transfer them to a baking dish. Place the dish in the oven while you make the gravy.
5. Pour the cooking liquid into a liquid measuring cup and let it stand for about 5 minutes or until the fat has risen to the top. Scoop off the fat with a spoon, then pour the remaining juices into a pan and add the red currant jelly. Bring to a boil, whisking all the time, then reduce the heat. Add the remaining 2 teaspoons each of chopped rosemary and thyme, and taste for seasoning. Let simmer gently on the stove while the lamb rests, whisking occasionally, until you are ready to serve. (See Make a flavorful red currant gravy.)
6. To serve, remove the string from the lamb and carve the meat into thick slices. Serve with the dish of potatoes, parsnips, and onion, and the gravy in a jug or gravy boat.
SLOW-ROAST LAMB LYONNAISE
KEYS TO PERFECTION
Add flavor to the meat
1 To inject flavor into the meat and ensure crispy skin, make about 12 deep slits in the lamb with a sharp knife. Space these incisions at regular intervals all over the top part of the lamb (the side with the skin), cutting through the skin deep into the meat to make little “pockets” about 3⁄4in (2cm) long.
2 Use a teaspoon to mix the oil, herbs, garlic, and seasoning to a paste in a small bowl, then tip the paste on top of the lamb and spread it out with your fingers. Rub the paste all over the skin, pressing it into the incisions in the meat.
Prepare the vegetables for even cooking
1 The vegetables are all sliced into different thicknesses according to how long they take to cook. Cut the parsnips on the diagonal, and don’t worry if the cores seem a little tough. The parsnips are cooked for so long that any toughness will disappear. Don’t be tempted to slice the potatoes ahead of time and keep them in water, as this will wash away some of the starch that’s needed to hold them together.
2 When the potato, parsnip, and onion slices are in the roasting pan with the seasoning, toss the vegetables with your hands to mix everything together, then spread them out in an even layer so that they all take the same time to cook. Push the whole garlic cloves and sprigs of thyme and rosemary in among the vegetables and drench them with the white wine and chicken stock.
Make a flavorful red currant gravy
1 Shoulder of lamb is fairly fatty compared with the leg and loin. During long, slow roasting, the fat melts into the meat and vegetables to make them very tender and flavorful, but the gravy is better without it. After removing the vegetables from the liquid using a slotted spoon, pour the juices from the pan into a liquid measuring cup and set aside. The fat will rise to the top and float on the surface.
2 Using a metal spoon, skim the fat off the surface and discard. Do this slowly and carefully, a spoonful at a time, trying not to disturb the juices underneath. You won’t manage to remove all of the fat, but it doesn’t matter at this stage.
3 Bring the gravy to a boil over high heat, whisking continuously, then reduce the heat and let it simmer, whisking occasionally. Any remaining fat will disperse throughout the gravy and the red currant jelly will absorb any greasiness.
Shoulder of lamb is one of the best cuts to slow-roast for succulent and juicy meat, but it has an odd shape that can be difficult to carve. For ease of carving, ask your butcher to remove the blade bone and then tie the meat with string to hold it together. Remove the string before carving.