Slow-cooked lamb shoulder with Greek salad

Original recipe by hnf

ingredients

• 2 onions, thickly sliced  
•  2 garlic bulbs, each sliced horizontally
•  50 ml white wine
• 50 ml verjuice
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1 tbsp natural yoghurt
• Salt & freshly ground black pepper
• 1 x 600g lamb shoulder
• 1 lemon, sliced thickly
• 2 potatoes, cut into thick chunks
• Green olives and flat leaf parsley, to garnish

yoghurt sauce

• 1 tsp coriander seeds
• 1/2 tsp cumin seeds
• 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
• 1 tbsp virgin olive oil
• 1 tbsp parsley or mint, roughly chopped
• 150 ml natural yoghurt

1. Preheat the oven to 180C. Line a roasting tray with 2 long sheets of foil, covering all the sides. Line the foil with baking paper. Place the sliced onions on the lined roasting tray and top with 1 of the sliced garlic bulbs. Pour over the wine.
2. Combine the oil with the seasoning and dried oregano and 1 tbsp yoghurt and rub well into the lamb.
3. Place the lamb onto the onions and season very well with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper.
4. Cover with baking paper and foil, sealing the ends very well. Place in the oven and cook for 2 hours.
5. Open up the foil and paper, add the potatoes, stir into the juices, then add the sliced lemon and remaining garlic. Stir once more until well-coated.
6. Re-seal tightly and return to the oven for another 2 hours. If you find the juices are leaking from the foil, unwrap the parcel and put everything into an oven-proof baking dish without the original wrapping. Cover tightly with new foil and return to the oven.

meanwhile, make the yoghurt sauce

1. Toast the coriander seeds with the cumin seeds then crush well using a mortar and pestle.
2. Combine the crushed spices with the remaining sauce ingredients, season to taste and set aside in the fridge until ready to have with the lamb.
3. When the lamb is tender and the meat falls off the bone, transfer to the serving dish, cover and set aside while you knock up the Greek salad.

greek salad

• 1/4 ciabatta loaf, crusts discarded
• 1 Lebanese cucumber, quartered lengthways, diced
• 1/2 cup grape tomatoes, halved
• handful of kalamata olives
• 2 shallots, finely sliced
• handful of torn flat leaf parsley
• 1/2 tsp dried oregano
• 100 g fetta, crumbled
• 50 ml olive oil
• 1 tbsp brown vinegar

 method

1. Break the bread into rough pieces and bake in the oven until golden. Set aside to cool.
2. Combine the cucumber, tomatoes, olives, shallots, parsley, oregano and fetta in a bowl.
3. Drizzle over the oil and vinegar.
4. Add the bread and toss.
5. Enjoy.

Tagged as: Greek, Recipes