Spicy Slow cooked Farm 88 Lamb Shoulder with Harissa
Yield: 6-8
Slow-cooked until meltingly tender, this Farm 88 lamb shoulder is marinated in harissa and warming spices, then roasted with onion, garlic and stock until richly caramelised. Served over creamy hummus with pickled red cabbage, fresh herbs and extra harissa, it’s a bold, generous dish that brings heat, depth and freshness together in every bite.
Ingredients
Hummus for Spicy Slow Cooked Lamb Shoulder (Serves 6-8 as a dip)
Harissa for Spicy Slow Cooked Lamb Shoulder (Makes about 1 cup - 200g)
Quick Pickled Red Cabbage
Instructions
- Score the surface of the Farm 88 Lamb Shoulder in a crisscross fashion ½ cm deep 1 cm apart and place into a non-reactive dish.
- Mix the ground dry spices, Harissa paste, Olive Oil and Salt in a small bowl. Spread the spice mix evenly all over the lamb rubbing into the scored lines.
- Place into the fridge for approx. 6 hours or overnight to marinate.
- Pre heat fan forced oven to 145C
- Place the marinated Lamb Shoulder into a heavy-duty roasting pan, add the onions, garlic, stock and cover with foil and pop into the oven. Cook for 3.5 hours, basting once with the marinade and juices per hour.
- Increase the oven temperature to 200C, remove the foil and add another two tablespoons of Harissa to the juices in the pan. At this stage you may need to add a little more water. Continue to cook for a further 20 minutes, basting regularly to caramelize the surface of the lamb
- When the Lamb is cooked it should be super tender and fall easily from the bone when pushed or carved. Remove from the oven and lift the lamb from the roasting tray.
- Remove the onions and garlic and set aside under a sheet of foil and keep warm. Add the remaining water to the roasting pan, place over a medium heat and scrape any sediment from the bottom of the tray to create a gravy. Pour off into a small pot and skim away any excess lamb fat and discard the fat.
- To serve, spread a good dollop of Hummus onto each plate and create a well in the center. Place a serving of lamb shoulder, a little Onion and a few cloves of Garlic over the Hummus, drizzle with Lamb juices. Scatter with Red Cabbage pickles and fresh Coriander and Mint.
- Serve with the remaining Harissa on the side.
Hummus for Spicy Slow Cooked Lamb Shoulder (Serves 6-8 as a dip)
- Blend the Chickpeas, Garlic, Salt, Tahini, ground Cumin, Lemon juice and 1/3 cup (80 ml) water in a small blender or food processor until smooth. Add more water if required so the Hummus blends easily. Add a pinch more Salt if required.
- Note: If you’re using dried Chickpeas, soak them overnight with a good pinch of bicarbonate of soda. Drain and transfer to a large saucepan and cover with cold water. Bring to the boil, add another pinch of bicarb and simmer for about 45 minutes or until tender. Add 1 ½ teaspoons Salt towards the end of cooking, then drain and leave to cool.
Harissa for Spicy Slow Cooked Lamb Shoulder (Makes about 1 cup - 200g)
- Place the Red Capsicum over an open flame and char the skin on all sides until blackened and blistered. Approx 5-6 minutes. Place the Capsicum in a container and seal for 10 minutes to steam and loosen the skin, then peel, discarding the skin and seeds and set aside.
- Dry roast the Cumin and Caraway seeds in a small frying pan over low heat until fragrant. Transfer to a plate to cool, then use a mortar and pestle to grind them to a fine powder.
- Drain the dried Chillies, reserving the soaking water and place into the Braun blender with the fresh Chilli, the Capsicum, roasted spices, Garlic, Paprika, Olive Oil and a pinch of Salt. Pulse for 30-40 seconds until nearly smooth but not quite. Add a little of the Chilli soaking liquid to loosen the paste if necessary.
Quick Pickled Red Cabbage
- Place the Vinegar, Peppercorns, Cumin and Mustard Seeds into a small pot, bring to the boil. Remove from the heat and allow to cool.
- Place the shredded Cabbage into a non-reactive bowl and add the Salt, mix well, scrunching a little to bruise the Cabbage.
- Allow to stand for 30 minutes mixing occasionally. Pour over the infused Vinegar, press the Cabbage down into the Vinegar and allow to steep for at least a few hours.
- This pickle will last for up to 4 weeks in the fridge in a sealed container.