It’s Father’s Day this Sunday and my Dad just loves this lamb! It’s succulent, delicious and just melts in your mouth! Get down to the market this Saturday, get everything ready and Sunday will be ACE!

This recipe works best slow cooked for around 3 hours, or in a pressure cooker for about an hour (with another ½ hour to reduce the sauce).

I love lamb shoulder to slow cook with. I use it plonked over chopped up quinces for a quick prepped and easy meal. This recipe takes a little more skill in that you have to tie a few knots and chop up a bit more veg, but it’s pretty easy to put together. Get it ready at lunch time and by dinner you will be high-fiving yourself! If you really want to impress, make a loaf of my Easy, Awesome Bread to soak up all of the delicious sauce!

Ingredients

1 lamb shoulder, boned (can weigh anything between 1.5 – 2.5 kgs – this recipe used a 1.8 kg shoulder)
lamb shoulder bone, cut into 5 cm pieces
grated zest of 1 lemon
2 tablespoons of roughly chopped thyme
1 teaspoon dried oregano
½ cup chopped rosemary leaves
6-8 garlic cloves, chopped
½ cup olive oil
2 onions, finely chopped
1-2 teaspoons fennel seeds (to your preference)
3 celery stalks, chopped
2 carrots, chopped
2 large eggplants, diced
750 ml white wine
water to cover
juice of 2 lemons
½ cup roughly chopped flat leaf parsley
salt
freshly ground pepper

Bread, to serve.

Rolled-lamb-shoulder-with-eggplant-recipe-Emma-Dean.jpg

Method

Place the lamb bones into a 180 degree celsius oven and roast for 20 minutes until browned (I put them in the oven and by the time I have prepped this all, they are ready).

Laying the lamb shoulder out, boned side up, season with salt and pepper.

Sprinkle over the lemon zest, thyme, oregano, half the garlic and half the rosemary, making sure it is evenly covered so no bits are missed when you roll it up.

Roll up the lamb tightly and tie with butchers string. I tie my lamb rolls up in 2 cm intervals, I find that works well.

Heat half, the oil in a pot and brown the lamb, turning regularly to ensure that it is browned all over. Once browned, remove from the pot and set aside on a plate.

If required, use the remaining oil and toss in the onions, and sauté until starting to soften (about 3-4 minutes) Then toss in the fennel seeds, celery and eggplant and sauté for a further 4 minutes.

Return the lam to the pot and nestle into the vegetables.

Remove the bones from the oven and put in the pot with the lamb. The bones will form your stock!

Pour in your bottle of wine, and then cover the lamb with water (as required).

Heat up the whole pot on the stove top until simmering.

Remove, place a cartouche (disk of paper), and place lid on the pot at place in a 160 degree celsius oven for 3 hours.

At the end of three hours you will have a beautiful softly braised lamb in a soft and delicate white wine sauce.

Remove the lamb for carving.

Add the juice of 2 lemons and the parsley into the sauce.