A shoulder of lamb or hogget is a winter treat that’s best cooked long and slow. Paul Merrett’s lamb shoulder recipe is served with polenta and brightly coloured veg, it brings a little Italian colour to a British winter.
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Ingredients
- 2.2kg British higher-welfare bone-in lamb or hoggett shoulder (see know-how and tip)
- 6 garlic cloves, finely sliced
- 2 tbsp fennel seeds
- 1 tbsp fresh thyme leaves
- 1½ tsp sea salt flakes
- 1½ tsp cracked black pepper
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1.5 litres lamb stock
- 200ml red wine
For the chargrilled vegetables
- 2 red peppers, roughly chopped
- 2 yellow peppers, roughly chopped
- 2 red onions, cut into 8 wedges
- 1 fennel bulb, cut into thick strips
- Olive oil for brushing
- 4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 1 red chilli, finely chopped
For the cheesy polenta
- 1.5 litres chicken stock
- 250g quick-cook polenta
- 6 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 120g grated sheep’s cheese (manchego, pecorino or berkswell all work well)
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Method
- Heat the oven to 210°C/190°C fan/gas 6½. Put the lamb in a roomy roasting tin, then make small incisions all over with the tip of a small sharp knife and stuff with the garlic. Grind the fennel seeds in
a pestle and mortar, add the thyme, sea salt and pepper, then mix in the olive oil to make a paste. Rub all over the lamb. - Roast, uncovered, for 30 minutes until the skin is starting to brown, then turn the oven down to 160°C/140°C fan/gas 3. Pour in the stock, then return to the oven for 4 hours, basting every 30 minutes or so, until really tender.
- Transfer the lamb to a board set on top of a lipped baking tray to catch the meat juices and leave to rest in a warm place for 30 minutes.
- Meanwhile, prepare the vegetables and polenta. Heat a large cast iron griddle pan or frying pan over a medium-high heat. Brush the peppers, onions and fennel with a little oil, then griddle separately until tender and charred. Transfer to a bowl, toss with the garlic and chilli, then season to taste.
- To make the polenta, bring the stock to a simmer and slowly sprinkle in the polenta, stirring, to avoid lumps. Simmer, stirring constantly, for 5-6 minutes until thickened. Add the olive oil and cheese and stir until melted – the consistency should be similar to wet mashed potato. Season to taste.
- For the gravy, spoon off as much fat from the roasting tin as you can (it should be about 4 tbsp) and discard. Tip the rest of the juices from the tin, as well as the lamb’s resting juices, into a saucepan with the wine. Bring to the boil, then simmer until thickened a little.
- Return the lamb to the tin, tip in the veg and serve with the cheesy polenta and gravy.
Nutrition
- 881kcals Calories
- 33.8g (13g saturated) Fat
- 64.5g Protein
- 30.5g (7g sugars) Carbs
- 4.6g Fibre
- 3.3g Salt
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