Ingredients
2-4 kg-lamb shoulder bone in
Salt and pepper to season
1-2
1 teaspoon freshly grated turmeric (or powder)
1-tablespoon ground cumin/ras el
1 cinnamon quill and
Bling
2 tablespoons chopped dried figs or pitted dates
zest of one lemon
1/2 cup almonds/pistachios/other nuts roasted and chopped
Method
1Season the shoulder with salt and pepper, some of the turmeric and spices and rub into the skin with a little water or oil to give the shoulder a nice suntan!
2Now place skin side up in a roasting tray with the stock making sure the stock comes at least halfway up the shoulder so it is nicely submerged by half. If you have too much cooking liquid reserve it for later as you may need to top up the lamb during the cooking process.
3Roast (actually it’s braising) in a hot oven of 220c for at least an hour. Remove from the oven and turn the shoulder over, return to the oven for half an hour. Turn over again and cook for another 15-30 minutes to get the skin nicely brown and crisp and then remove from oven.
4Make the bling by mixing the chopped dates, nuts and zest together. Garnish the lamb with the bling and then serve!
NOTE: If you have a little more time this actually benefits from a long slow cook