Recipe

Roasted Lamb Shoulder with Crispy Potatoes

  •  

    Sometimes, in life, all we need is a huge, fatty, pre-historic looking hunk of protein. And when that happens to me, not just any meat will do. I need the meatiest, most succulent, incredibly tender and packed with flavor protein ever. That can only mean one thing…

    LAMB.

    Not just any lamb, but a whole roasted lamb shoulder. It is so good that truthfully if you just stuck into your oven for a few hours with out any spices or seasoning it would still taste good. But, if you want to up your lamb game this is the way to go.

    I have no idea how this idea popped into my head. I was racking my brain trying to come up with all sorts of ways to cook my lamb. My first thought was to put it in a huge roasting tin on top of the potatoes.

    Oh, sorry. Let me back up a minute. We need to talk about the potatoes.

    Lamb has tons of fat. When you cook the fat it melts. So, you could either let all the fat sit in the bottom of the pan, or you can use that fat to flavor something else. Therefore, potatoes.

    Ok, back to the lamb.

    I could have just plopped it on the potatoes and let it cook like that, but then what about the bottom of the lamb shoulder. I wanted 360 degrees of lamb crispiness with a completely tender inside. Then it hit me. Why not use my actual oven rack as a way to cook my lamb. This way I can allow the heat to reach the entire lamb evenly, and I can catch  all those amazing fat drippings! Then I though, wait!!!! Why catch the drippings in an empty pan when my potatoes can soak up all the salty, earthy, fatty goodness! So, that is exactly what I did.

    And it was AMAZZZZZZZZING!!!!!

    It was sooo good! The outside of the lamb was seasoned incredibly and was irresistibly crispy. The inside was oh so tender that we were actually pulling the meat of the bone with our fingers. And the potatoes. Oh. Those potatoes. Crispy, crunchy, salty, soft on the inside, and completely addicting.

    I went with very traditional lamb seasonings. I have to say, I was a bit nervous about the rosemary, because I often find it very overpowering but it worked so well here. The lemon zest, although not traditional, balanced the rosemary and the earthiness of the lamb so well. It really all came together to make a show stopping main course.

    With the winter rapidly approaching, we’re all going to need a meatfest pick-me-up every now again to help keep us cozy and warm!

  • Ingredients

    1. 8-10 potatoes, peeled, cut into 2 inch cubes
    2. 1 tbsp salt
    3. 1 whole lamb shoulder
    4. 4 cloves garlic, peeled
    5. zest of 1 lemon
    6. 3 sprigs of fresh rosemary, stems removed
    7. 1 tsp kosher salt
    8. 1 tsp freshly cracked black pepper
    9. 1/4 cup olive oil

    Instructions

    1. preheat oven 200c (400f)
    2. place one rack on the lowest possible level and another rack in the middle
    3. While oven is preheating, place cubed potatoes in a large pot
    4. Add water and salt
    5. Bring to a boil and allow potatoes to simmer for only 5 minutes
    6. (You don’t want them cooked through, only par-boiled)
    7. Strain water, and return potatoes to hot pan to allow them to slightly dry off
    8. Pour potatoes onto a lightly greased parchment lined baking sheet
    9. Set aside to prepare lamb
    10. Using a very sharp knife, score the fat on the top of the lamb shoulder in a cross hatched pattern
    11. In a mortar and pestle combine the garlic, lemon zest, salt and pepper.
    12. Crush them until they form a “chunky” paste
    13. Add in rosemary and crush a little bit longer to the rosemary has slightly softened
    14. Drizzle olive oil all over the lamb
    15. Massage garlic and rosemary paste all over the lamb shoulder being careful to get it into every nook and cranny
    16. Place sheet pan of potatoes on the lowest level of the oven
    17. Take the seasoned lamb shoulder and place directly on the middle rack of your oven.
    18. There is no need to put it in a tin or on a pan.
    19. All the lamb drippings will fall directly into the potatoes to season them
    20. Bake for 1 & 1/2 to 2 hours depending on how well done you like your meat!
    21. Serve hot and enjoy!

    Notes

    1. This is truly the best way I have ever cooked lamb! It gives it that super crispy outside but soft and tender inside that we love about lamb!

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