Slow-roasted shoulder of lamb with root vegetable gratin & salsa verde

Last but not least, discover Waitrose Spring Foodie Case sixth recipe! Mouthwatering slow-roasted lamb with Italian Barbera from Sentieri.

To get all the recipes and matching wines, order the Spring Foodie Case now £83.94 at Waitrose Cellar. Buy any 6 bottles and get them delivered for free.

Recipe

Serves 4-6 with leftovers

Prepare 30-40 minutes

Cook 4 ½ - 5 hours

Ingredients

• 2 litres chicken stock
• 2kg bone-in lamb shoulder
• 8 cloves garlic, peeled
• 8 sprigs fresh rosemary
• 1.8kg Maris Piper potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced
• 1 swede, peeled and thinly sliced
• 1 celeriac, peeled and thinly sliced
• 20g pack fresh lemon thyme, finely chopped
• 2 medium onions, thinly sliced

For the salsa:

• 20g pack fresh flat-leaf parsley
• 20g pack fresh mint
• 20g pack fresh basil
• 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
• 1 tbsp salted capers, rinsed
• 4 anchovy fillets in oil, drained
• 4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 2 tbsp lemon juice

Preheat the oven to 150°C. Add chicken stock to a pan and bring to the boil. For the lamb shoulder, use a sharp knife to make 2cm-deep holes all over the flesh. Insert one clove of garlic and a sprig of rosemary into each one. Season and leave to one side.

To prepare the gratin, line the base of a large deep ovenproof dish with baking parchment. Make a neat layer of sliced potatoes, swede and celeriac then sprinkle over some thyme and a scattering of onions and season well. Repeat until the dish is full. Pour the hot chicken stock over the gratin and place the lamb shoulder on top, with the studded side facing up. Cover with foil and place in the oven for 4 hours. Check after 2 hours and skim off any excess oil that’s sitting on top.

After 4 hours, if the lamb is cooked, take it out of the dish, place on a tray and cover with foil. Turn the oven up to 180°C. Skim off excess fat from the gratin and place back into the oven for 30 minutes.

To make the salsa verde, start by stripping the leaves from the herbs and place in a food processor with all the other ingredients. Blitz to a coarse sauce, ensuring all the ingredients have been mixed together.

To serve, scoop a good spoonful of the gratin onto a plate. Using a fork, break the lamb into bite size pieces and serve alongside the gratin.

To Pair With...

Vigneti Massa Sentieri Barbera Colli Tortonesi

This wine was made in a tiny vineyard based in the natural amphitheatre of Monleale in Italy. It is a well-balanced, pure expression of the Barbera variety that still retains a touch of personality. Congratulations to the winemaker who brought to the fore the qualities of a grape that is often misrepresented.

Many Italian wines are at their best with food, and this one is no exception, especially with meat dishes. The sweet fruit marries harmoniously with the sweet flavours of the lamb and the acidity helps to cut through the fatty meat.

View the Spring Foodie Case booklet containing all the recipes.