Lamb Shoulder with Spiced Pilaf

Photography by Parker Blain ©

Photography by Parker Blain ©

 
 
 

Serves: 8
Easy
Time: 6 hours 45 minutes (mostly unattended cooking time!!)


Ingredients:

8 sprigs rosemary
4 bay leaves
3 anchovy fillets 
2 kg bone-in lamb shoulder 
1 garlic bulb
⅓ cup olive oil
3 cups vegetable stock
2 tablespoons honey
½ cup almond flakes, toasted
1 pomegranate, seeds extracted
Mint leaves and lemon wedges, to serve

Pilaf
3 tablespoons ghee or unsalted butter
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cumin
½ teaspoon ground turmeric
1 cinnamon quill
1 tablespoon mustard seeds
3 garlic cloves, crushed
2 cups basmati rice
1 litre chicken stock

METHOD:

  1. Preheat oven to 140°C (120°C fan-forced). Place 4 sprigs of the rosemary, the bay leaves and anchovies on the base of a roasting pan and place the lamb on top. Make 10 deep incisions into the lamb and stuff with the remaining torn rosemary.

  2. Cut the bulb of garlic in half horizontally and add to the pan. Drizzle the olive oil over the lamb and garlic. Pour the vegetable stock and honey over the lamb. Cover with foil and roast for 6 hours.

  3. When the lamb has been cooking for 5½ hours, make the pilaf. Melt the ghee in a large saucepan over a medium heat. Add the salt, cumin, turmeric, cinnamon, mustard seeds and garlic. Cook, stirring, for 2 minutes or until the spices are fragrant. Add the rice and stir until coated with the spice mixture. Add the chicken stock to the pan and bring to a simmer.

  4. Cover the pan and reduce to low heat. Cook for 15 minutes, then turn off the heat. Leave covered for a further 10 minutes.

  5. Serve the lamb with the pilaf, topped with the almonds, pomegranate seeds and mint, with lemon wedges on the side.

Just as there are multiple ways to skin a cat, there are also multiple ways to deseed a pomegranate! The best way is to cut the pomegranate in half and place in a bowl of water. Using your hands break the fruit under the water and watch the sweet morsels fall to the bottom of the bowl whilst the inedible pith floats to the top. This is the quickest way without any nasty clothing stains. You can thank me later.