Lamb Shoulder Roast With Spinach Pine Nuts Food

SLOW ROASTED ROSEMARY GARLIC LAMB SHOULDER

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 240°C/465°F (220°C fan forced).
• Rub the lamb with the olive oil, salt and pepper.
• Use a thin, sharp knife to make 12 incisions in the lamb, deep as you can but without piercing through the bottom of the lamb. (See photo in post and video
• Stuff bits of rosemary and garlic slivers into the holes (chopstick helpful!)
• Place the onion, halved garlic bulb and rosemary in the base of a roasting pan. Place the lamb on top. Pour water around.
• Cover with lid or tightly with a double layer of foil. Place in the oven, and TURN DOWN to 180°C/350°F (160°C fan).
• Slow roast, covered: Roast, covered with the foil, for 3 hours. (Note 1 for different sizes).
• Brown it, uncovered: Remove foil, check to ensure there's still liquid in the pan. If not, add 3/4 cup water (otherwise onion/garlic will burn). Turn up the oven to 220°C/425°F and roast for a further 20 to 30 minutes, until the skin is browned and crisp.
• Check if ready: By now, you should be able to part the meat with two forks - if not, just cover and return to oven at 180°C/350°F (160°C fan) until you can do so.
• Rest: Remove lamb from the roasting pan and transfer to a plate. Cover loosely with foil then a couple of tea towels and let it rest for at least 20 minutes, up to a couple of hours (after this, you may want to reheat).
• Serve with gravy (below). If you want to go all out, make Duck Fat Potatoes or Super Crispy Roasted Potatoes!

LAMB & SPINACH SPANAKOPITA

Steps:

• Heat half the oil in a casserole pot over a medium-high heat and fry the lamb for 5-7 mins, or until deep brown all over. Cover with the stock, then add the cinnamon stick and bay leaf, and bring to a simmer. Cover and cook for 11/2 hrs, or until the lamb is tender and falling apart.
• Heat the remaining oil and the butter in a frying pan, then fry the onions with a large pinch of salt for 15-20 mins, or until golden and sticky. Add the garlic and spices, and cook for 3 mins more. Remove the lamb from its stewing liquid (reserving the liquid), transfer to a chopping board and shred using two forks. Stir the shredded meat into the onion mixture, along with 50ml of the reserved liquid.
• Put the spinach in a pan with 1 tbsp water, and cook for 3-4 mins, or until wilted. Wrap in a clean tea towel and squeeze out the excess liquid, or put in a fine sieve and press it out using the back of a wooden spoon. Roughly chop the spinach, then stir into the lamb and onion mixture along with the feta, mint, pine nuts and egg. Season.
• Heat the oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6, and brush a 22cm round springform cake tin with some of the melted butter. Layer four sheets of filo pastry across the tin, then brush with more melted butter. Spoon in the filling, and fold the overhanging pastry over the top. Scrunch up the remaining pastry sheets, put on top of the pie, and brush with the remaining melted butter. Sprinkle with the sesame seeds. Bake for 45-50 mins, or until golden and crisp. Will keep in the fridge for up to up to two days.

LAMB WITH HERB PASTE AND SPINACH

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 425º. Remove as much of the surface fat as is practical from the lamb. Combine the parsley, dill, oil, anchovies and garlic in a food processor (if you're not using the anchovies, add some salt). Purée, adding a little water if necessary. Rub the lamb with this mixture.
• Put the lamb on a rack in a roasting pan with about 1/2 cup of water. Roast for 30 minutes, then check; if the lamb threatens to burn, turn the heat down to 350º; otherwise leave it at 425º. If the bottom dries out (the rendering lamb fat should keep it moist), add a little more water. After about 1 hour (total), check the internal temperature with an instant-read thermometer. When it reaches 130 for medium rare (125 for very rare) in its thickest part (check it in several places), it's done. Total cooking time will be less than 1 1/2 hours. Remove and let it rest.
• Pour off and reserve all but 2 tablespoons of the fat and put the pan over a burner (or two, if it fits better). Toast the bread crumbs over low heat, stirring and seasoning with salt and pepper until they're lightly browned. Remove; add another couple of tablespoons of the fat to the pan. Add the pine nuts, raisins and spinach and cook over high heat, stirring frequently, until the spinach is very tender and most of the liquid has evaporated. Carve the lamb and serve it on a bed of spinach, sprinkled with the bread crumbs.

SLOW-ROASTED LAMB SHOULDER AND ROOT VEGETABLES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 450°F.
• Brush the surface of the lamb with olive oil then season well with salt and pepper. Set a Dutch oven over medium heat and when it is hot, place the lamb shoulder in a Dutch oven, fat side down, and sear to a golden brown. Remove from the heat, turn the shoulder over, bone side down and pour the beef broth around the sides.
• Add the sliced garlic, sage sprigs, thyme bundle and the bay leaves. Place the lid on the pot and transfer it to the oven. Roast for 20 minutes, then reduce the heat to 300°F and continue to roast for an additional 3 hours.
• Remove the pot from the oven and add the vegetables around the sides of the lamb shoulder, pour in the white wine or broth and replace the lid. Return the pot to the oven and continue to roast for an additional 30 minutes or until the vegetables are just tender but still slightly firm.
• Remove the pot from the oven, discard the bay leaves, sage and thyme bundle. Transfer the meat to a serving platter and arrange the vegetables around the lamb. Cover the platter with foil and keep warm while making the sauce.
• Spoon off as much of the accumulated fat as possible from the pan liquid, reserving 2-3 tablespoons for the sauce. Pour the remaining liquid from the pot through a mesh strainer set over a dish. There should be about 1 1/2 cups of liquid, if not add additional broth, water or wine.
• Add the reserved fat to a small saucepan set over medium heat, stir in the flour and cook for 1 minute. Stir in the pan liquid and bring to a boil, remove from the heat, whisking until smooth and slightly thickened. Transfer the sauce to a dish or pitcher and serve with the lamb and vegetables.

RACK OF LAMB WITH SPINACH PINE-NUT CRUST AND MINTED PEA SAUCE

Steps:

• Make crust mixture:
• Preheat oven to 350°F. In a baking pan toast pine nuts in middle of oven until golden, about 10 minutes, and cool.
• Discard stems from spinach and coarsely chop spinach. Rinse spinach and drain in a colander. In a large heavy kettle cook spinach in water clinging to leaves, covered, 1 minute, or until just wilted. Drain spinach well in colander, pressing out excess liquid with back of a large spoon, and cool. Tear ham into pieces. In a food processor pulse spinach with nuts, parsley, ham, and butter until finely chopped and transfer to a large bowl. Stir in remaining crust ingredients until combined well. Crust mixture may be made 1 day ahead and chilled, covered.
• Increase temperature to 425°F. If leaving strip of fat on racks, score a diamond pattern on fat with tip of a sharp thin knife. Halve lamb racks to form six 4-rib pieces. Pat lamb dry and season with salt and pepper.
• In a large heavy skillet heat oil over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking and lightly brown pieces 2 at a time, on all sides, about 1 minute total for each batch. Transfer pieces as browned to a large shallow roasting pan and arrange meaty sides up. Spread meaty side of each piece with 1 teaspoon mustard. Divide crust mixture into 6 portions and pat over mustard coating on each piece, gently pressing to help adhere.
• Roast lamb in middle of oven 25 minutes, or until a thermometer inserted 2 inches into center registers 135°F. for medium-rare. Transfer lamb to a cutting board and let stand 10 minutes.
• Cut lamb into individual chops and serve with sauce.

LAMB SHOULDER ROAST WITH SPINACH & PINE NUTS

Steps:

• Clean spinach by discarding roots, coarse stems, and yellowed leaves. Wash well. Stack leaves, then cut crosswise into about ½-inch-wide slivers. Set aside.
• In a 5- to 6-quart pan over medium heat, combine oil and nuts; stir often until nuts are golden, about 6 minutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer to a plate and set aside. Add onion to pan; cook, stirring often, until limp but not browned, 4 to 6 minutes. Add garlic, oregano, 1/8 teaspoon pepper, and spinach. Stir just until spinach is limp, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat and mix in crumbs and nuts.
• Trim fat from lamb. Lay meat flat, boned side up, and cover with plastic wrap. Using a flat mallet, pound meat gently and firmly to flatten evenly. Spread spinach mixture over the meat, leaving about a 1 ½-inch margin on all sides. Starting from the most irregular long side, roll meat up snugly. Use string to tie snugly at about 1 ½-inch intervals.
• Arrange meat, fat side up, on a rack in a 12- by 15-inch roasting pan. Sprinkle generously with pepper. Insert a meat thermometer in center. Roast, uncovered, in a 350°F oven until thermometer registers 145°F for medium-rare, about 1 hour and 15 minutes. Slice roast ½ inch thick. Add salt to taste.

SUPER TENDER LAMB SHOULDER ROAST

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 170°C (340°F).
• Lightly cover bottom of baking pan with some cooking oil, I find it easier to do using a pastry brush. Completely cover oiled pan with fresh rosemary branches, leaving about 5 or 6 branches to put on top of the roast.
• Peel all the outer skin of the whole garlic knob and break off the cloves. Do not peel garlic cloves; spread about 3/4 of them over the rosemary on pan bottom.
• Place roast on top of this and lightly paint it with some more of the cooking oil, lightly sprinkle about 1 tablespoon of flour over the top of roast and gently rub it in with your fingers. Cover with the remainder of the rosemary and the garlic cloves. Completely cover pan with cooking foil and tuck it in firmly all around. Place into preheated oven and cook for approx 4 hours (depending on size of roast). Do not remove foil during cooking time, when cooked properly meat should be moist and tender and should also fall away from bone very easily.
• About 1 hour before roast is cooked peel potatoes and carrots. Cut into large cubes, put into saucepan with salt to taste and cook until it is soft enough to roughly mash.
• Whilst potato is cooking prepare silverbeet or spinach leaves. Cut off most of the white stalks and roughly chop green leaves. Place into cold water salted to taste. Bring to boil, turn heat to low and simmer for 5 minutes.
• When potato and carrot are cooked, drain off all the water & roughly mash. Mix with 3/4 tablespoon of butter, finely chopped fresh parsley and finely chopped mild onion. Place in warm serving dish. Place in warm oven (at 100 - 150 degrees Celsius to keep warm whilst preparing remainder of meal.
• Drain silverbeet or spinach of all water, mix in 1/4-tablespoon butter and 1/4 teaspoon of cracked pepper. Take 2 garlic cloves from the meat and gently squeeze until garlic comes out of its skin, mash it and put into silverbeet or spinach and mix thoroughly. Place into warm serving bowl and put into warm oven along side of potato & carrot.
• Remove roast from pan and place on warm serving dish, pull out all the bone that can easily be removed. Place Rosemary around meat to garnish. Remove all garlic cloves and put them to one side. Cover roast with cooking foil. Put into oven with vegetables to keep warm whilst making gravy.
• Pour off all but 1 tablespoon of juice from baking pan. Pick garlic cloves up in your fingers (careful they may still be a little hot) gently squeeze them and the cooked garlic will come out of the outer shell. Mash some of it (about 6-7 cloves) put into baking pan, mix in rest of flour, gently mix in the chicken stock so that you do not get any lumps. When this is done, place all the fresh mint into the gravy and put pan over a light to medium heat and stir continuously until it thickens. Turn heat down to lowest level and allow to simmer for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• Serve your meal on warmed dinner plates and enjoy!

SPINACH SALAD WITH LAMB AND BASIL

Steps:

• Trim and tie lamb. Season lamb with salt and pepper and in a sealable plastic bag combine lamb, 2 tablespoons oil, and 1 tablespoon basil, turning lamb to coat evenly. Marinate lamb, covered and chilled, 4 hours.
• Cut roasted peppers into thin 2-inch long strips and in a bowl combine with vinegar and 2 tablespoons oil. Chill peppers, covered, until assembling salad.
• In another bowl coarsely crumble goat cheese and gently stir together with 2 tablespoons oil and 1 tablespoon basil. Chill goat cheese, covered, until assembling salad.
• In a blender blend remaining 1/4 cup oil, remaining tablespoon basil, and salt and pepper to taste until smooth. Transfer basil oil to a small bowl. Chill basil oil, covered, while preparing lamb. Bring basil oil to room temperature before assembling salad.
• Preheat oven to 450°F.
• Heat an ovenproof heavy skillet (preferably cast-iron) over moderately high heat until hot and brown lamb on all sides. Put skillet in middle of oven and roast lamb about 10 minutes, or until a meat thermometer registers 140°F. for medium-rare. Cool lamb. Chill lamb, covered, at least 2 hours and up to 1 day. Cut lamb into thin slices.
• Discard coarse stems from spinach and arrange leaves around edges of 4 large plates. Scatter come peppers evenly over spinach and mound some goat cheese in center of each plate. Arrange lamb slices around goat cheese and drizzle salads with basil oil.