LAMB SHOULDER

By Oliver Xie, Head Chef at The Grille.

Ingredients

For the Lamb Shoulder

• One lamb shoulder, boned and butterflied
• Brine (see below)
• 70g milk
• 500ml fresh lamb stock
• 2 sprigs of fresh rosemary
• 4 cloves of garlic

For the brine

• 215g salt
• 75g brown sugar
• 1 tsp black peppercorns
• 1 tsp coriander seeds
• 1 tsp caraway seeds

1. Put all ingredients in a large pot with 1 litre of water
2. Bring to the boil then remove from heat and leave to infuse for 20 minutes
3. Dilute and cool with 500ml of cold water and 500g of ice. Stir well.

For the salsa verde

• 1 packet flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
• 1 tbsp fresh rosemary leaves, finely chopped
• 1/2 cup pitted olives, chopped
• 1/4 cup capers, rinsed and chopped
• 1 tsp Dijon mustard
• 1 tsp red wine vinegar
• 2 anchovy fillets, finely chopped
• 1 clove garlic, finely chopped
• 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

1. Mix all ingredients in a bowl and check seasoning - should be zest and zingy

Method

1. Prepare the brine
2. Put the lamb shoulder and brine in a bowl or dish deep enough to allow the lamb to be completely covered in the brine. If necessary, weigh it down with a plate to ensure the lamb is completely submerged. Leave in the chiller for three hours.
3. Preheat the oven to 150°C
4. Heat a large frying pan (or BBQ in summer) with a little oil until smoking hot. Sear the lamb for two minutes on each side to caramelise.
5. Transfer lamb to a deep roasting dish. Add the stock, rosemary, and garlic, and cover with tin foil
6. Roast for three and a half hours or so until so tender you can easily push the handle of a wooden spoon through the cnetre
7. Drain off the stock (save it for use in soups/other recipes) and serve the lamb with the salsa verde and your choice of veggies, carbs, and salads.