January is definitely a cold month and a lazy one too.
We keep indoors as much as we can, we try to warm up and we try to recover from December’s excessive activity.
We feel the need for good food, but after the hardships of preparing Christmas meals for friends and family we want something simple that will fill our bellies and leave us smiling satisfied without too much hassle.
So why not try your hand at something that is packed with flavour, delicious and requires minimum effort on your part?
By slow cooking a lamb shoulder not only you don’t have to spend hours fussing around the oven, but you turn a rather cheap cut into a great meal with the meat falling off the bone and beating any average beef joint on flavour.
Moroccan Inspired - SLow roasted lamb shoulder
Serves 4
1.3kg lamb shoulder, bone in
1tsp ground cinnamon
½ orange – Juice and rind
Salt to taste
4 garlic cloves, crushed and skin on
50gr dry prunes
Mix the orange juice, rind, cinnamon and salt, rub all over the lamb and let it marinate for at least 2 hours.
Heat your oven to it’s maximum capacity and turn down to gas mark 2 (150C) once the lamb is ready to go in.
Roast the lamb for 2 hours turning once 1 hour into the roasting.
Add the garlic cloves and prunes to the pan, turn the lamb again and roast for another 1 ½ hour at the same temperature.
Turn the oven off and let the joint sit inside for another 15 minutes.
Serve with a couscous made with vegetable stock, orange rind and freshly chopped cilantro and a dollop of tzatziki on top to bring some North African warmth into the cold winter.
Buon appetito!
