Lamb Shoulder slowly roasted with North African and Arabic Spices served with Yoghurt Harissa Sauce

Lamb and marinade

Ingredients: 

1 2kg shoulder of lamb

1 bunch of celery

10 stalks of rosemary

½ jar anchovies

2 bulbs of garlic

2 yellow onions

500 ml organic chicken broth

1 pomegranate and extra rosemary stalks to serve

Rapeseed oil 

-

To plate optional: 

2 large bunches of sprigs of rosemary 

Pomegranate seeds from 1/2 pomegranate

Rub

ingredients:

1 ½ tbsp Aleppo pepper

1 tbsp sweet paprika 

½ tbsp crushed all spice

1 tbsp crushed cumin seeds

1 tsp crushed cardamom 

1 tbsp garlic powder

1 tbsp onion powder 

1 tbsp sea or Himalayan salt

Rapeseed oil

1 cup of yoghurt 

Brining bag 

Aluminum foil 

Yoghurt Harissa Sauce

Ingredients:

Yield: 600g

I large firm tub/500g of Greek Yoghurt

½ jar of good quality Harissa paste

Olive oil

1 lemon

1 to 2 tbsp fresh roasted and crushed cumin

2 cloves grated garlic

Method:

Take a bowl and add all the ingredients except the Harissa. Mix well. When ready to serve, take your serving bowl and pour in mixture. Add three large dallops of Harissa to the yoghurt and swirl around. Do not mix completely, leaving swirls of red and pink. Set aside.

*Gravy (if desired)

When finished cooking, strain liquid through a metal sieve. Reheat with a little corn or tapioca starch in a smaller bowl and pour into mixture. Add a touch or marsala or chardonnay and whisk vigorously until desired thickness. 

Lamb Method: 

Slash your lamb in 1” criss-cross pattern, quite deeply on the fat side up. Cut your anchovies into quarters. Peel your garlic and thickly slice about six cloves. Stuff this into the sliced crevices of the lamb all over. In a separate bowl, make your rub. Coat the shoulder well with rapeseed oil and then rub the dry mixture all over. Add yoghurt. Marinate in a brining bag in the fridge for a few a few hours or overnight. Make sure to take out of the fridge ½ hour before ready to roast. 

Heat oven to 180C. Take a large roasting pan and place your celery stalks as a base on the bottom of the pan. Slice and quarter your remaining garlic and two onions and place around. Add half your rosemary stalks. Pour chicken broth into roasting tin. Take the shoulder out of the brining bag and place on top. Put remaining rosemary stalks to cover. Wrap a few sheets of foil over the pan and secure well so there are no air gaps. Place in middle rack of oven. Roast for four hours. 

To plate:

The lamb should be soft and falling off the bone. Place on a large platter. 

Sprinkle pomegranate to finish and lay on a bed of fresh rosemary stalks or autumn leaves. Serve with yogurt sauce and/or gravy.