Slow roasted lamb shoulder recipe

I prepare the lamb with garlic, paprika, lemon and thyme the night before, this marinates the lamb which gives it a delicious flavour.

Lamb shoulder has more fat, which in turn gives more flavour, but a leg of lamb works perfectly well too. I love to serve the lamb to the table; it makes a wonderful centre piece to carve in front of everyone.

Gratin of dauphinois is all that is comforting. Layers of potato interleaved with Rodda’s Cornish clotted cream, a hint of wild garlic and nutmeg. A dish that does nothing more than bring you together with people you love. Wild about wild garlic, to me it is an essential Springtime ingredient foraged from woodlands.

It has a subtle fragrance and works in pesto, risottos, pasta, and here in this delicious dauphinois. Spinach is a perfect replacement if you are unable to find wild garlic.

For the lamb…

Serves 6-8

Ingredients

1 whole garlic bulb

100g thyme leaves

2 tbsp paprika

4 tbsp olive oil

50g Rodda’s Cornish butter

2.25kg whole shoulder of lamb,

1 lemon skin on, halved

250ml water

Cornish sea salt, freshly ground pepper

Broccoli spears and minted peas to serve

Method

Preheat the oven to 160°C (140°fan/320°F)

1) Peel half the garlic cloves, then lightly crush them in a pestle and mortar with some sea salt. Mix in the thyme leaves and paprika. Gradually add the olive oil until you have a thick paste. Melt the butter in a small pan and add it to the paste.

2) Put the lamb in a deep sided roasting tin and rub it all over with the spice paste, then season with sea salt and black pepper. Add whole sprigs of thyme, the remaining garlic cloves still in their skins and place the lemon halves beside the lamb.

3) Cook uncovered in the oven for 35 minutes. Remove from the oven and pour in the water and use a ladle to baste the lamb with the cooking juices. Cover the lamb with foil and return to the oven for 3 hours, basting the meat every 30 minutes.

4) For the last 15 mins remove the foil and if the juices are evaporating quickly, add a little more water.

5) Remove from the oven, cover in foil and allow to rest for at least 15 minutes before carving. Serve with creamy dauphinois, broccoli and minted peas.

For the dauphinois…

Serves 8

Ingredients

1.2kg waxy potatoes, peeled (Desirée potatoes work well)

100g wild garlic, stalks removed (raw baby spinach is a perfect alternative)

300g Rodda’s Cornish clotted cream

150ml crème fraiche or Rodda’s double cream

900ml Rodda’s Cornish whole milk

2 bay leaves

1 whole nutmeg

1 clove garlic, cut lengthways

50g Rodda’s Cornish butter

Cornish sea salt, freshly ground black pepper

Method

Preheat the oven to 160°C (140°C fan/320°F)

1) Butter the sides and bottom of an oven to tableware dish. Wash the wild garlic leaves and set aside, if flowering, reserve the flowers for decoration (if wild garlic out of season spinach is a perfect replacement)

2) Place the Rodda’s clotted cream and crème fraiche in a bowl and stir together until combined, add a pinch of sea salt, black pepper and a grating of nutmeg.

3) Peel the potatoes. Cut the potatoes into 2 1⁄2 cm slices and place in a heavy bottom pan and cover with milk, add a good pinch of sea salt, and grating of nutmeg, 2 bay leaves and one garlic clove peeled and cut lengthways, bring the milk to the boil and cook the sliced potatoes for 10 minutes (be careful the bottom of the pan can catch).

4) Discard the milk, garlic and bay leaves and carefully layer the potatoes in the dish alternately with the wild garlic.

5) Making sure the top and bottom layer is covered by potato. Season each layer with sea salt and pepper.

6) Now pour the Rodda’s clotted cream mixture over the potatoes making sure the top layer is just covered.

7) Finish the top off with some grated nutmeg. Bake in the middle of the oven for 1 hour at 160°C (140°C fan/320°F) or until golden brown and a table knife passes through with ease.

8) Allow to rest. Delicious to eat with a leafy salad on its own or served as an accompaniment with my slow roasted lamb.

Emily’s note: A mandolin is a useful tool here to slice your potatoes (just be careful). If you want to enrich it even more, grate 100g of Comté or Gruyere over the top before baking.

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