Pic of Slow-cooked lamb shoulder with root veg and homemade mint sauce

Slow-cooked lamb shoulder with root veg and homemade mint sauce

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Meat mains

Slow-cooked lamb shoulder with root veg and homemade mint sauce

Main Serves 10 6h 45 min
Thick slices of slow-cooked lamb with a rich gravy and roasted root veg tossed with toothsome pearl barley and parsley. This is a fabulous Sunday or Easter treat, especially if you make your own mint sauce – fresh is definitely more tasty than from a jar.

Ingredients

main

  • 2 carrots, roughly chopped
  • 1 onion, cut into wedges
  • 2 bay leaves
  • oil for frying, e.g. vegetable or sunflower
  • 2.2kg lamb shoulder
  • 1 garlic bulb
  • rosemary sprigs
  • 1kg mixed root veg, peeled and chopped into 2cm dice
  • few thyme sprigs
  • 800ml stock
  • 250g pearl barley
  • oil for roasting, e.g. olive
  • large bunch fresh parsley, chopped

for the mint sauce

  • 20g fresh mint leaves
  • 2 tsp caster sugar
  • 2 tbsp white wine vinegar
  • good pinch fine sea salt

Method

Prep time: 15 min
Cooking time: 6h 30 min

main

  • Step 1

    Preheat oven to 120°C/Gas 1. Put the carrots, onion and bay leaves in a roasting tray that will fit the lamb fairly snugly.

  • Step 2

    Heat a large frying pan with a bit of oil and brown the lamb on both sides. Remove it and lay on the veg in the tin.

  • Step 3

    Cut small slits in the lamb and poke in some whole garlic cloves and rosemary. Season.

  • Step 4

    Pour 100ml water into the bottom of the pan, cover tightly with foil and bake for 4 hours.

  • Step 5

    Put the root veg in a roasting tin and toss in just enough oil to coat.

  • Step 6

    After the lamb has been in the oven for 4 hours, put the veg in the oven and roast it for 2-2½ hours, until tender.

Make mint sauce

  • Step 1

    once the veg goes in. Mix all the ingredients with 3 tablespoons of boiling water in a small bowl.

  • Step 2

    Cook the barley after the veg has been in for an hour. Put the stock and barley in a saucepan and simmer for 35-40 minutes, until tender but still with some bite.

  • Step 3

    Drain and keep to one side until the veg is ready, then mix the root veg with the barley and parsley, seasoning well.

  • Step 4

    Skim the fat off the lamb juices and use the leftover sauce for gravy.