Slow Roasted Shoulder or Leg of Lamb
A community recipe by MKTHNot tested or verified by Nigella.com
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Make incisions into the lamb with a knife. Take one sprig of rosemary and pull off clumps of leaves; halve and quarter the 5 garlic cloves. Stuff the rosemary and garlic pieces deep down into the incisions you have made in the lamb. Chop the bulb of garlic in half. Place the 2 sprigs of rosemary in a well greased oven roasting dish and place the lamb on top. Squeeze one half of the lemon over the lamb and tuck both halves tightly around the lamb – cut side down. Tuck the 2 halves of the garlic head; cut side down, tightly around the lamb. Pour olive oil liberally (+- 40 – 40 ml) over the lamb and rub in with your hands. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place uncovered in a preheated oven at 220 C for 25 minutes. Remove from oven and reduce oven temperature to 160 C. Pour wine over and around meat. Take some greaseproof paper and wet it under a tap, wring/crumple dry – then smooth out, but not too much. Place damp paper over roasting pan and cover tightly with tin foil. Bake for about 5 ½ to 6 hours. Remove from oven and allow to stand for 40 minutes. Place meat on a board and slice or pull apart. Place meat slices in greased casserole. Place roasting pan on top of stove with the plates on. Remove stalks bits of rosemary from roasting pan, squeeze out lemons and discard, squeeze out bulbs of garlic and discard the papery bits leaving the creamy garlic puree behind. Mash and stir the juices. Add sliced mushrooms (optional) and toss about until mixture is simmering, you may add +- 100 ml water/wine or stock to loosen. Remove from heat and add cream. Stir and pour over meat, cover. You can refrigerate for up to 2 days before your party. Reheat at 180 C for about half an hour – until meat is hot and sauce is bubbly.
Make incisions into the lamb with a knife. Take one sprig of rosemary and pull off clumps of leaves; halve and quarter the 5 garlic cloves. Stuff the rosemary and garlic pieces deep down into the incisions you have made in the lamb. Chop the head of garlic in half. Place the 2 sprigs of rosemary in a well greased oven roasting dish and place the lamb on top. Squeeze one half of the lemon over the lamb and tuck both halves tightly around the lamb – cut side down. Tuck the 2 halves of the garlic head; cut side down, tightly around the lamb. Pour olive oil liberally (+- 40 – 40 ml) over the lamb and rub in with your hands. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place uncovered in a preheated oven at 220 C for 25 minutes. Remove from oven and reduce oven temperature to 160 C. Pour wine over and around meat. Take some greaseproof paper and wet it under a tap, wring/crumple dry – then smooth out, but not too much. Place damp paper over roasting pan and cover tightly with tin foil. Bake for about 5 ½ to 6 hours. Remove from oven and allow to stand for 40 minutes. Place meat on a board and slice or pull apart. Place meat slices in greased casserole. Place roasting pan on top of stove with the plates on. Remove stalks bits of rosemary from roasting pan, squeeze out lemons and discard, squeeze out heads of garlic and discard the papery bits leaving the creamy garlic puree behind. Mash and stir the juices. Add sliced mushrooms (optional) and toss about until mixture is simmering, you may add +- 100 ml water/wine or stock to loosen. Remove from heat and add cream. Stir and pour over meat, cover. You can refrigerate for up to 2 days before your party. Reheat at 180 C for about half an hour – until meat is hot and sauce is bubbly.
Introduction
I love this recipe because I can prepare everything the day before and on the day everyone arrives I am unstressed and relaxed.
I love this recipe because I can prepare everything the day before and on the day everyone arrives I am unstressed and relaxed.
Ingredients
Serves: 6 - 8
Metric
Cups
- 2½ kilograms leg of lamb
- 3 sprigs fresh rosemary
- 5 cloves garlic
- 1 lemon (halved)
- 1 bulb of garlic (additional, whole)
- 500 millilitres white wine
- olive oil
- salt
- pepper
- 250 grams mushrooms (sliced)
- 250 millilitres cream
- 5½ pounds leg of lamb
- 3 sprigs fresh rosemary
- 5 cloves garlic
- 1 lemon (halved)
- 1 head of garlic (additional, whole)
- 17½ fluid ounces white wine
- olive oil
- salt
- pepper
- 9 ounces mushrooms (sliced)
- 8⅘ fluid ounces cream
Method
Slow Roasted Shoulder or Leg of Lamb is a community recipe submitted by MKTH and has not been tested by Nigella.com so we are not able to answer questions regarding this recipe.
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What 2 Others have said
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Posted by Marchskala on 9th May 2016
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Posted by JolijnHewitt on 9th November 2014
Show more commentsThe first time I made this, I found the sauce very, very greasy when made with shoulder of lamb. You could literally see the fat starting to solidify in the roasting tin. This time, before adding the finishing touches, I let the sauce set. The fat on top was almost 2" thick in a bowl 28cm wide and of similar depth . This I took off. Only then did I add the cream etc. So much better. So, either make with leg, which is not quite as fatty but don't cook quite as long. 4.30 hours in total should be sufficient , or take the fat off the sauce. It's a nice recipe otherwise. As you can make it ahead.
I have immensely enjoyed preparing and eating this lovely roast today, with my husband and a friend. Along with it we had pancetta and chestnut marsala sprouts, and roast spuds. We had a big bonfire going outside and every time we stepped back into the house we smelt the gorgeous and promising smell of lamb in the oven. Eating it was a treat! Thank you Nigella, another great meal and a very enjoyable time spent preparing it.