Vince’s slow-roasted lamb shoulder

Vince’s slow-roasted lamb shoulder with paprika and honey.

This is a foolproof dish, inspired by a recipe in Greg and Lucy Malouf’s book Moorish, which

I’ve cooked for as long as I can remember, writes Vince Heffernan in The Ethical Omnivore . . .

“I’m the sixth generation to farm our land at Moorlands, near Dalton, NSW, Australia, and the first to farm biodynamically. We grow award-winning Texel sheep that we’ve been selling to Feather and Bone since 2011,” says Vince.

“The original recipe for this slow-roasted lamb shoulder with paprika and honey uses boned, diced lamb but I love the texture and depth of flavour the shoulder gives to this dish, with the marrow and connective tissue softening into a rich, layered, gelatinous sauce. You just pop it in the oven in the morning before you head off around the farm, check it at morning tea and it’s ready in the afternoon.”

2–2.2kg square-cut lamb shoulder on the bone

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 large brown onions, diced

3 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped

1 teaspoon sweet paprika

Finely grated zest and juice of 2 lemons

1 tablespoon honey

800g tomatoes, fresh, frozen or tinned

1 cinnamon stick

1 handful herbs from the garden (mint, rosemary, thyme, flat-leaf parsley, oregano)

1-1.5 litres chicken stock or water

500g dried risoni or orzo pasta

2 red chillies (optional), coarsely chopped

Grilled haloumi, lemon wedges, crusty bread and a green salad, to serve.

• Preheat oven to 100°C. Season lamb shoulder with salt and freshly ground black pepper.

• Heat olive oil in a large cast-iron saucepan over medium heat, add onion and garlic and cook gently, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes until softened. Add paprika, lemon zest and honey, and stir to coat. Place seasoned lamb shoulder on top and add tomatoes, cinnamon, lemon juice, herbs and 500ml of stock or water. Bring to the boil.

• Put lid on and pop it on the bottom shelf of the oven. Let it gently cook for an hour or so, allowing the lamb to release some juices and fat. Take saucepan out of the oven to check and add the rest of the stock or water, pop it back in and leave it for another 6 hours or so.

• Half an hour before you’re planning to eat, take pan out, and add risoni or orzo and mix well. Return pan to the oven for another 25 minutes or until the pasta is cooked.

• Serve with grilled haloumi dressed with a squeeze of lemon juice, fresh crusty bread and a crisp green salad.

8.

15 minutes.

at least seven hours.

A large, cast-iron saucepan that will hold a whole lamb shoulder.