SLOW-COOKED LAMB SHOULDER
WITH 40 CLOVES OF GARLIC
SERVES 4
Begin this recipe around 4 hours ahead.
1 whole lamb shoulder (bone in)
40 small garlic cloves, peeled
3 onions, thinly sliced
50ml extra virgin olive oil
2 cups (500ml) chicken stock
1 lemon
(^1) / 2 tsp dried mountain oregano
(substitute regular dried oregano)
11 / 2 tbs red wine vinegar
Preheat the oven to 160°C.
Using a small knife, make 40 small,
2cm-deep incisions over lamb shoulder
and insert a garlic clove in each incision.
Cover base of a flameproof lipped
roasting pan with onions. Rub lamb
shoulder with olive oil and 2 tsp salt
flakes, and place on top of the onions.
Add chicken stock to the pan, then
cover pan with a sheet of baking paper.
Seal pan with foil and roast for 2 hours.
After 2 hours, remove foil and baking
paper, and baste lamb with pan juices.
Re-cover with baking paper and foil,
then roast for a further 1 hour or until
the lamb is falling off the bone.
Increase oven to 200°C. Remove foil
and baking paper, spoon over some
of the pan juices and return lamb
to the oven for 15 minutes,
uncovered. Remove from the oven
and squeeze over juice from lemon.
Season with mountain oregano and
return to the oven for a further 5 minutes.
Remove lamb shoulder from the pan
and transfer to a serving dish.
Add vinegar to the pan. Place pan over
high heat and bring pan juices to the
boil. Reduce heat to medium and simmer
for 6-8 minutes or until juices are
thickened and reduced. Season to taste
and spoon over the lamb to serve.
Slow-cooked
lamb shoulder
with 40 cloves
of garlic
GEORGE CALOMBARIS.