Pot roast shoulder of lamb with fennel; Slow-cooked zucchini and mint

Buy the shoulder of lamb for this recipe in one piece.

Shoulder of lamb with fennel. Picture: Guy Bailey.

Ask your butcher to remove the bone from the shoulder, roll and tie it – the meat will be easier to slice.

Pot roast shoulder of lamb

2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1.5kg lean, boned shoulder of lamb, tied with string
6 small eshallots or small red Asian shallots, peeled
600g small potatoes, scrubbed, or large, peeled, cut into chunks
600g small carrots, halved if large
2 small fennel bulbs, trimmed and quartered
Pared rind from half an orange, and all the juice
A few sprigs of fresh thyme
1-2 tablespoons honey
500ml apple cider or hot beef or chicken stock

Preheat oven to 150°C (fan). Heat oil in large heatproof lidded casserole dish over medium heat. Add lamb and brown it all over for 8-10 minutes. Remove and set aside. Add eshallots to pan and brown for a few minutes. Drain off any fat and add potatoes, carrots, fennel and meat. Tuck in some orange parings and thyme sprigs, season well and drizzle with honey. Pour in cider or stock and orange juice. Top up with water if necessary, so the liquid just covers the vegetables but doesn’t totally cover the meat. Cover, bring to the boil, then cook in oven for 2-2½ hours until veg and meat are tender. Remove vegetables and lamb to rest for 10 minutes; meanwhile, place casserole dish over medium heat to reduce juices and make a sauce. Season; serve with slow-cooked zucchini. Serves 6

Slow-cooked zucchini and mint

6 medium zucchinis
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
50g unsalted butter
3 cloves garlic, peeled and finely chopped
Sea salt
½ cup mint leaves
Juice of half a lemon

Thinly slice zucchini. Place oil and butter in heavy-based lidded pan over low heat and allow butter to melt. Add zucchini and garlic. Season well, cover and cook very gently for 50-60 minutes, stirring from time to time to ensure zucchini does not stick to the bottom of the pan. It should slowly begin to fall apart and, once finished, have the texture of a rough purée. Chop mint finely and stir through, then season with lemon juice and salt. Serves 6