Slow-cooked lamb shoulder with pomegranate

This subtly flavoured dish is a temptress.

Slow-cooked lamb shoulder with pomegranate. Picture: Guy Bailey.

This lamb dish is inspired by the flavours of Arabic cooking. Sumac, a berry that is available either crushed or ground, has a tart, sour lemon taste that adds a kick to meat, vegetables and salads. The meat should fall off the bone when ready.

Slow-cooked lamb shoulder with pomegranate

1.75kg shoulder of lamb on the bone

Olive oil

½ teaspoon ground cardamom

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

½ teaspoon dried chilli flakes

4 cloves garlic, unpeeled

1 long red chilli

3 tablespoons roughly chopped mint, plus extra small mint leaves to serve

Finely grated zest 1 lemon

Seeds from 1 pomegranate, membranes removed

Crushed or ground sumac, to serve

Preheat oven to 140C (fan). Brush lamb with a little oil. Combine spices and rub over meat; season well with salt and pepper. Place in a roasting tin. Pour in boiling water to a depth of 1cm, then add garlic and whole chilli to the tin. Cover with foil and bake for 3½ hours, checking every 30 minutes to make sure the liquid hasn’t evaporated. Add more water if needed. Increase the oven temperature to 160C (fan), uncover lamb and cook for a further 30 minutes. Remove lamb from tin, cover and rest in a warm place for about 20 minutes. Cook pan juices in a large pan over high heat for about 10 minutes until reduced to a thin sauce. Remove soft garlic from inside cloves. Shred the warm meat; stir through cooking juices, chopped mint, lemon zest and roasted garlic. Arrange on a platter and sprinkle with pomegranate seeds, mint leaves and a little sumac; season to taste. Serve with fennel salad if desired. Serves 6

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EMBARGO FOR TWAM 22 AUG 2020 FEE APPLIES Salad Pic : Guy Bailey styling David Morgan

Fennel cucumber salad

2 fennel bulbs, trimmed

2 Lebanese cucumbers, cut into ribbons

2 spring onions, thinly sliced

2 tablespoons chopped mint

¼ cup olive oil

2 tablespoons lemon juice

Cut fennel bulbs in half and remove any core. Using a mandolin, shave fennel thinly (or slice with a knife as thinly as possible) and place in a bowl. Finely slice cucumber and add to bowl along with the other ingredients; season with salt and freshly ground pepper. Let marinate in the fridge for 15 minutes before serving. Taste and adjust salt and lemon. Serves 6

[e-mail] Digital subscribers can see more recipes by David Herbert at theaustralian.com.au/herbert-recipes