Sticky lamb shoulder recipe

Name: Sticky lamb shoulder recipe
Cook time: 2 h 30 min
Yield: 4
Cuisine: Modern Australian
Ingredients: 4 tbsp olive oil; 1 large lamb shoulder on the bone; salt and pepper; 1 brown onion, diced; ½ bulb garlic, peeled and roughly chopped; 2 long red chillies, deseeded and roughly chopped; 3 tbsp tomato paste; 2 stalks celery, roughly chopped; ½ bunch rosemary, roughly chopped; ½ bunch thyme, roughly chopped; 2 litres quality vegetable stock; 300ml red wine

Darren Robertson and Mark LeBrooy

April 9, 2019

Three Blue Ducks' slow-cooked lamb shoulder. Edwina Pickles

Time:2 hours +Serves:4

The chefs at Three Blue Ducks know what you need as the temperature drops and colder evenings set in. This is a great, warming dish to serve to the family. Most of the hard work needs to be done the day before, or put on first thing in the morning so it's ready when you get home. The meat is fall-apart tender with a rich, sticky glaze.

Ingredients

4 tbsp olive oil
1 large lamb shoulder on the bone
salt and pepper
1 brown onion, diced
½ bulb garlic, peeled and roughly chopped
2 long red chillies, deseeded and roughly chopped
3 tbsp tomato paste
2 stalks celery, roughly chopped
½ bunch rosemary, roughly chopped
½ bunch thyme, roughly chopped
2 litres quality vegetable stock
300ml red wine

Method

1. Put a large skillet on a high heat. Rub the lamb shoulder with olive oil and season, sear it in the pan on all sides then put in a braising dish.
2. Put the skillet back on a medium heat, add remaining olive oil, onion, garlic and chilli and cook until soft and slightly caramelised.
3. Add a tablespoon of tomato paste, stirring constantly, for three to five minutes, and heat the oven to 105C.
4. Add the celery and herbs, cook for another two minutes, deglaze the skillet with a little vegetable stock and pour over the lamb.
5. Add the rest of the stock to the dish, season lamb well, cover with a lid or foil and cook in the oven for eight to 10 hours. Remove from oven, strain off the liquid and reserve.
6. Put a saucepan on a high heat, add remaining tomato paste and the red wine and reduce for two to three minutes, then add the braising liquid and keep reducing the mixture to a slightly thicker glaze (it should be about a fifth of the original amount).
7. Turn the oven up to 200C, brush glaze over the lamb and put in the oven. Take it out and reglaze it every five minutes for 30 minutes – a dark layer will start to form on top of the lamb. To serve, put the lamb on a platter with the leftover glaze and take it to the table.
Tip: Use a wide saucepan when reducing the glaze as the liquid evaporates faster.
Serve with our shaved squash, zucchini, pea and mint salad.