Lennox Hastie’s slow-roasted lamb is fit for a king

The slow cooking process infuses the meat with deep, smoky flavours and makes it incredibly tender

Lennox Hastie’s slow-roasted lamb shoulder is a thing of beauty. Photography: Nikki To

There isn’t really any money in cooking good food in good restaurants – the margins are just too small. We do it because we love what we do, and more than anything we want to give people the most beautiful experience we can. For me, choosing to work in the top restaurants meant accepting a lower salary, sometimes with no pay at all. Even though I may have struggled to pay the rent, my reward was always experience and learning. To get by, I would occasionally take to working as a private chef for the rich and famous – people who would happily pay well for me to cook for them in the privacy of their own homes. The most profound of these experiences was a post with the late Sultan of Oman when he was in residence in London and Germany.

With palatial corridors stretching in every ­direction like something out of a Bond movie, every movement resonated with the weight of ­responsibility. Cooking for His Majesty (as he was called) was intense and demanding; you don’t cook for royalty with the casual flair with which you might whip up a dinner for friends. Every detail matters, requiring precision and delicacy.

With a deep appreciation for the finer things in life, the Sultan was never simply eating; he was experiencing, and it was our job to make that experience unforgettable. In a kitchen nestled deep within the rolling hills of Bavaria, I found myself standing shoulder to shoulder with chefs from India, the Philippines and Oman as well as Germany, as we set about creating a daily feast of 40 dishes. We would spend all day prepping; the kitchen was a place of focused energy with dinner to be served at a moment’s notice.

The Sultan wasn’t one for ­fanfare, but he appreciated the art of food and cooking. If he was happy, he would simply nod in approval, a subtle gesture that meant more than any words. Herbie, the German head chef, would breathe a sigh of relief. With thick hands like shovels and an old-school temperament that could scare a soufflé into rising, he had spent a lifetime appreciating Omani tradition and catering to the appetite of the Sultan. One of his ­favourites was lamb shuwa, a dish rooted in ­Bedouin culture, symbolising the nomadic ­essence of Omani cuisine. Often reserved for ­festivals and celebrations, lamb shuwa is a slow-cooked, marinated lamb dish. (The word “shuwa” means “slow-cooked” in Arabic). When Herbie spoke of shuwa, it was with a deep reverence, as though he were discussing a sacred text. The lamb is carefully marinated overnight, allowing the mixture of fragrant spices to work their magic. It is then wrapped in banana leaves, and cooked slowly for several hours until it falls apart. Traditionally cooked in an underground pit, the slow cooking process infuses the meat with deep, smoky flavours and makes it incredibly tender, whilst wrapping in banana leaves helps to retain moisture and infuses the meat with a delicate aroma.

Such a majestic dish requires little more than rice as an accompaniment. Saffron is like a golden thread of luxury, and when infused into rice it imparts a subtle, floral sweetness, resulting in a fragrant, golden-hued delight that complements the richness of the lamb perfectly. Try the recipe here.

Cook the lamb for five hours, until meltingly tender. Photography: Nikki To

Spice of life: Persian spices. Photography: Nikki To

Omani shuwa (slow-cooked lamb)

1Ingredients

• leg or shoulder of lamb (approximately 3kg)
• 1 tablespoon black peppercorns
• 1 tablespoon coriander seeds
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 5 cloves
• 1 tablespoon cumin seeds
• 5 cardamom pods
• 2 tablespoons chilli flakes
• ½ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
• 80ml apple cider vinegar
• Zest and juice of 2 fresh limes
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 5 cloves of garlic, minced
• 50ml of grapeseed oil
• Handful banana leaves, if available, or greaseproof paper
• Handful fresh coriander, leaves picked
• 10g pickled mustard seeds
• 1 red chilli deseeded, thinly sliced and fried until crisp

Method

1. In a frying pan, combine all the spices except the nutmeg and dry fry for 2 to 3 minutes on a medium to high heat until lightly toasted and fragrant. Place the spices in a mortar and pestle to smash and grind by hand. Add the garlic, grated nutmeg, lime zest and juice, vinegar, garlic, oil, and salt and continue to grind to form a paste. Using a small knife, score the lamb leg deeply with a sharp knife to allow the marinade to penetrate.
2. Rub the spice paste thoroughly over the entire surface of the lamb, massaging it into all the creases, folds, and cuts of the meat. Cover the lamb and let it marinate in the fridge overnight or for at least 12 hours to allow the flavours to permeate.
3. The next day, remove the meat from the fridge and allow it to reach room temperature. Preheat your oven to 140C. If using banana leaves, soften them by briefly passing them over an open flame or dipping them in hot water.
4. Wrap the marinated lamb leg tightly in the banana leaves, ensuring the meat is completely covered, and then wrap in aluminium foil. If no banana leaves are available, wrap the lamb leg tightly in greaseproof paper followed by aluminium foil. Place the wrapped lamb in a large roasting pan or in a cast iron pot.
5. Place in the oven and cook for approximately 5 hours, or until the meat is tender and falling off the bone.
6. When cooked, remove from the oven and allow to rest for 20 to 30 minutes. Carefully open the parcel and strain off the juices into a clean pan. Reduce over a high heat until it reaches a light sauce consistency, adding the pickled mustard seeds.
7. Place the lamb under a hot grill to allow the exterior to toast lightly. Remove and pour over the sauce, garnishing with fresh coriander and fried chilli strands.

Serves 4