Greek Lamb Shoulder Recipes

SLOW ROASTED GREEK SHOULDER OF LAMB

Steps:

• preheat oven to 200c (390f) on bake, not fan
• keep aside a little of the preserved lemon for garnish
• in a small bowl add all ingredients except lamb and mix to a paste
• spread 3 layers of tin foil, then another 3 layers of foil facing the opposite way
• place lamb on foil and rub marinade all over top and bottom
• wrap foil very tightly around lamb
• sit lamb on a trivet, or cake rack in a baking dish
• place in preheated oven on middle shelf for 10 minutes
• reduce oven temperature to 130c (260f) and cook for 5 hours
• carefully unwrap the foil and drain juices into a small saucepan
• cover lamb with foil
• reduce jus on medium heat until it reduces a little (about 10 minutes)
• pour jus into a serving jug
• sprinkle parsley, preserved lemon and currants over lamb
• serve and enjoy!

GREEK SLOW ROASTED LAMB SHOULDER

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 200°C/180°C fan assisted/Gas mark 6.
• In a bowl add the marinade ingredients and mix through until fully combined.
• Place 3 large strips off foil on the work surface and massage the marinade all over the lamb until it is fully covered.
• Wrap the lamb tightly in the foil. Place on a rack within a roasting tin. Roast in the oven for 10 minutes.
• Now reduce the heat to 130°C/110°C fan assisted/Gas mark 1/2 and roast for a further 5 hours. Carefully unwrap the foil and add the juices to a pan, place over a medium heat for about 10 minutes until reduced. Meanwhile, cover the lamb in foil and set aside.
• To serve, pour the jus into a serving jug, sprinkle the lamb with parsley and preserved lemons. Serve with Greek Salad, roasted potatoes, pitta and/or seasonal vegetables. Enjoy!

TRADITIONAL GREEK ROASTED LAMB AND POTATOES

Steps:

• Pat dry the lamb using paper towels and place it in a roasting pan. Using a sharp knife, make several incisions in the lamb and insert the slivered garlic and half of the rosemary leaves.
• Whisk together the olive oil, salt, pepper, the other half of the garlic (minced), the other half of the rosemary (chopped), thyme, oregano and lemon zest. Pour the marinade over the lamb making sure to cover it on all sides. Refrigerate for 2 hours.
• 30 minutes before you are ready to roast the lamb, remove it from the refrigerator and turn on the oven to 450°F.
• Wrap the lamb and its marinade well with parchment paper (not wax paper) and then with aluminum foil (this will ensure that all the juices stay with the meat and do not leek.) If you do not have parchment paper, use two layers of foil instead. Place the roasting pan with the lamb in the middle rack of the oven, cook for 15 minutes, then reduce the temperature to 360°F. Roast for 2 hours.
• While the lamb roasts, cut the potatoes in half lengthwise and then in quarters. If the potatoes are large, cut each quarter in half again. Place them in a medium bowl and toss them with the salt, pepper, oregano, and lemon juice.
• After two hours, remove the roast from the oven, open the wrapping carefully and check it. At this point, the bone should be loose and starting to come away from the meat. If it is not, cover the lamb again, return it to the oven, and roast for another 15 minutes.
• Remove the pan from the oven and increase the oven temperature to 400°F. Uncover the lamb; there should be about a cup of its juices in the pan. If there is not enough liquid, add enough hot water to make about 1 cup. Scatter the potatoes around and under the lamb and return the pan to the oven for about 20-30 minutes until the skin of the lamb is brown and crisp (cover loosely with a piece of foil if the lamb becomes too dark before this time).
• At this point, remove only the lamb from the roasting pan and transfer it to a platter. Cover it loosely with some foil and let it rest for 20 minutes. Continue roasting the potatoes for another 15 minutes, or so, until they become soft and have a nice golden color. There should be still plenty of juice in the pan.
• To serve, spoon some pan juices over the lamb, divide it in four portions and serve it alongside the lemon potatoes. Garnish with some lemon slices and enjoy with a glass of Merlot.

SLOW-COOKED GREEK LAMB

Steps:

• Heat oven to 160C/140C fan/gas 3 and sit a shelf as low as possible. Pierce the lamb all over with a small knife, then fill each slit with a garlic clove and half an anchovy fillet. Rub all over with the oil, then season.
• Heat a flameproof casserole dish and sear the lamb all over until well browned. Take off the heat, remove the lamb from the dish and tip in the tomatoes, carrots, sage and rosemary. Sit the lamb on top and scatter over the thyme.
• Cover the dish, slip it onto the bottom shelf of the oven and cook for 4-5 hrs until pull-apart tender. Carefully lift the lamb from the dish, discard the herbs and roughly squash the tomatoes into the juices. Sit the lamb back in the dish and serve in big shredded chunks with tzatziki, chickpea salad and flatbreads for mopping up the juices.

GREEK LAMB CHOPS

Steps:

• Sprinkle both sides of lamb with oregano, salt and pepper. Press garlic into lamb.
• In 12-inch skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Cook lamb in oil 4 to 6 minutes, turning once, until brown.
• Add broth to skillet; reduce heat to medium-low. Cover and cook 8 to 10 minutes, turning once, until lamb is tender. Remove lamb from skillet; keep warm.
• Heat liquid in skillet to boiling. Boil 1 to 2 minutes or until slightly reduced. Stir in lemon juice and butter. Cook and stir just until slightly thickened. Stir in olives and parsley. Spoon sauce over lamb. Top with cheese.

GREEK LAMB SHOULDER

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350°F.
• Mix dressing, rosemary, vinegar, lemon zest and pepper until blended.
• Score flesh on both sides of lamb shoulder. Insert garlic pieces into scored lines in meat. Place lamb, fat side up, on rack in roasting pan. Brush lamb with dressing mixture; top with oregano. Pour chicken broth around lamb.
• Bake 30 min. Reduce temperature to 325°F; cover. Bake 2 hours. Increase oven temperature to 350°F. Bake, uncovered, 30 min. or until lamb is done (160°F), basting occasionally with pan juices.