Slow roasted lamb, whipped feta, pistachio, preserved lemon

Slow roasted lamb shoulder is such a treat. Fall apart, tender, juicy and the best part is you can use the cooking liquid to reduce into a gravy to pour over the top.

This is my Christmas dish, not glazed ham or turkey. Alongside some potatoes and a salad or two, this is my perfect Christmas roast.

All you need is a dutch oven to roast this lamb shoulder perfectly in 4 1/2 hours. The bone will slide right out, a crust will form on the lamb and the meat will fall straight off the tongs.

Ingredients:

Slow roasted lamb shoulder:

1 lamb shoulder, approximately 1.2 kg

400g pearl onions, halved

6 garlic cloves

10g rosemary sprigs

4 bay leaves

1 L beef stock

1/4 cup dry white wine, such as Sav Blanc

2 tbsp olive oil

Dry rub:

1/4 tsp dried rosemary

1/4 tsp dried oregano

1/4 tsp smoked paprika

1/4 tsp cumin, ground

1/4 tsp garlic powder

1/4 tsp onion powder

salt and pepper

Garnish:

Crushed pistachios, about a handful

1 preserved lemon, only the rind, sliced thin

Mint, roughly chopped, about a handful

Pickled onions: 1/2 a red onion, 1 tbsp red wine vinegar

Whipped Feta:

400g feta

3 garlic cloves

juice of 1/2 a lemon

1/2 tbsp olive oil

pinch of salt

Method:

The night before, rub the lamb with the dry rub and leave in the fridge overnight on a plate, uncovered.

To make the whipped feta: combine all ingredients in a food processor and blend until smooth. Add a splash of water to help it blend if needed. Taste and adjust for lemon or salt, then keep in the fridge.

Slice red onions into thin slices and place into a bowl with 1 tbsp red wine vinegar. Coat the red onions by tossing them all throughout the vinegar and set aside whilst the rest comes together.

Preheat oven to 175C fan-forced. Grab a dutch oven and fill it starting with pearl onions, rosemary and bay leaves. Pour olive oil all over the lamb. Pour the beef stock and wine in, around the sides of the lamb. The beef stock should come up quite high, approximately halfway on the lamb. Note: the beef stock and dry rub should add enough salt, though if your beef stock is “salt reduced” or contains no salt, then add a pinch of salt. Personally, I did not add any more salt. Put the lid on the dutch oven and place in the oven for 4 hours. Check once or twice throughout the 4 hours to make sure there’s enough liquid and nothing is burning. Flip the lamb halfway through. After 4 hours, the bone should easily slide out of the meat. If not, place back in the oven and roast for another 30 minutes - 1 hour.

After the meat is tender and falls off the bone, remove the lid and flip the lamb presentation side up. Place back in the oven and roast for 30 minutes more to get a crust on the top of the lamb.

Turn off the heat, using tongs, remove the meat from the broth and place into a bowl. Discard bones. Strain the cooking liquid and reserve the liquid to make gravy. Discard the solids from the cooking liquid.

Bring the strained cooking liquid to a boil in a small pot and continue stirring for approximately 5 minutes, or until it has reduced and become a thick and glossy gravy. Pour into a jug to pour over the lamb before serving.

To assemble: smear whipped feta on 1/3 of a serving platter, followed by fall apart lamb shoulder on the side that doesn’t have feta on it. Garnish the lamb with mint, pistachio, preserved lemon and pickled onions (strain off the excess red wine vinegar). Finish with gravy. Enjoy straight away.