Jane Devonshire’s braised garam masala shoulder of lamb with turmeric, garlic & salt-crusted roast potatoes

This spiced lamb dish makes a lovely alternative roast dinner.

Jane Devonshire’s braised garam masala shoulder of lamb with turmeric, garlic & salt-crusted roast potatoes. Picture: Mike Cooper

This spiced lamb dish makes a lovely alternative roast dinner. Turmeric, garlic and salt-crusted roast potatoes are the perfect accompaniment. Be careful, though: the last time I made these they’d nearly all disappeared before we sat down to eat!

Braised garam masala shoulder

1.5kg shoulder of lamb (bone in)
6 anchovy fillets, roughly halved
4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
250g natural yoghurt
1½ teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon garam masala
1 teaspoon turmeric powder
1 teaspoon hot chilli powder
1 tablespoon lemon juice, plus extra for drizzling
1 teaspoon sea salt
Olive oil, for drizzling

Using a sharp knife, pierce lamb all over and push anchovy and garlic into the holes. Combine remaining ingredients to create a marinade and smear it all over the lamb. Place on a baking tray, cover with foil and leave to marinate for 1-2 hours.

Preheat oven to 180°C (160°C fan). Cook lamb for 90 minutes, then remove foil and cook for a further hour. Remove from the oven and leave meat to rest on a chopping board. Meanwhile, combine pan juices with a little extra olive oil and lemon juice, to taste, and keep warm (the yoghurt may have split a little but it should combine well to form a gravy). Serve lamb drizzled with meat juices, with roast potatoes and a green salad on the side. Serves 4-6

Turmeric, garlic & salt-crusted roast potatoes

450g King Edward (or similar) potatoes, cut up for roasting
2 teaspoons ground turmeric
1 teaspoon sea salt
½ garlic bulb
Sunflower oil

Preheat oven to 180°C (160°C fan). Bring a saucepan of water to the boil and parboil potatoes for 10-12 minutes; you should be able to pierce them easily with a sharp knife to about 0.5cm, with the insides still firm. Drain potatoes in a colander then gently toss them around so that the edges become fluffy. Place in a baking tray with enough oil to coat them (this will depend on the size of your pan), sprinkle over turmeric and salt and turn the potatoes, ensuring all are evenly covered and golden yellow. Add the halved garlic bulb, open side down, and baste with a little oil. Roast for 1 hour. After an hour, take out the oven, turn potatoes and continue to roast for a further 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and, using the back of a fork, squeeze roasted garlic out of the skins and toss through potatoes. Serve immediately while hot and crunchy. Serves 4

Jane Devonshire won British MasterChef in 2016. Edited extract from her cookbook Hassle Free, Gluten Free (Absolute Press, $40). Photography: Mike Cooper