Lamb shoulder with pomegranate glaze

Name: Lamb shoulder with pomegranate glaze
Cook time: 2 h 30 min
Yield: 6
Cuisine: Middle Eastern
Ingredients: 1 lamb shoulder (about 2kg); 8 garlic cloves, peeled and cut into slivers; 4 sprigs rosemary, leaves picked; 3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil; 85g pomegranate molasses, plus extra to taste; salt and pepper; 100ml dry white wine; 50ml dry sherry; 300ml lamb or chicken stock (use gluten-free if required)

June 22, 2015

Roast with the most: Lamb shoulder with pomegranate glaze.Marcel Aucar

Time:2 hours +Serves:6

For me, a Sunday roast lunch is generous, festive occasion, the highlight of the weekend. In terms of meat cuts, lamb shoulder has shot to the top of the charts. As popular now as roast leg, it is succulent and never disappoints when cooked well. The pomegranate molasses adds a tangy sweetness that works beautifully with the meat's richness.

Ingredients

1 lamb shoulder (about 2kg)
8 garlic cloves, peeled and cut into slivers
4 sprigs rosemary, leaves picked
3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
85g pomegranate molasses, plus extra to taste
salt and pepper
100ml dry white wine
50ml dry sherry
300ml lamb or chicken stock (use gluten-free if required)

Method

Make deep incisions all over the lamb. Stuff a sliver of garlic into every incision then a few leaves of rosemary. Rub olive oil all over the shoulder and into the incisions.
Put in a roasting tin, cover loosely with plastic wrap and put in the fridge for a few hours to marinate.
When ready to cook, bring the lamb to room temperature. Heat the oven to 180C. Spread about half the pomegranate molasses on the bottom of the lamb and season with salt and ground black pepper. Turn over and spread the top with the rest of the molasses, pushing it into some of the incisions, and season.
Roast for 30 minutes. Reduce the oven to 160C and roast for another 1.5 hours. After 1 hour, add the wine and sherry, pouring them around the joint.
When the lamb is cooked, put it on a warm platter then cover with foil and rest for 15 minutes while you finish the sauce.
Put the roasting tin over a medium heat and add the stock. Bring to the boil and cook until it is reduced a little (not too much or it will be too salty).
It doesn't matter if it's quite thin, the flavour is the important thing. Strain the sauce through a sieve before serving it with the lamb.
Suggestion: Serve with Frank's potato and celeriac gratin
Tip: Leftover lamb is great in sandwiches or crunchy vegetable salads to have the next day for lunch at work, a tasty reminder of the weekend.