From time to time during the latter years of his life — particularly when my mother's health began to deteriorate — my wonderful father would don an apron and take over the kitchen for the afternoon. Slow-roasting was one of his particular specialities and I have yet to share a couple of his recipes here, but will certainly do so in the fullness of time. Pot-roasted veal shoulder was at the top of his repertoire and he cooked it with care for hours and hours until the meat would fall away from the bone and was melt-in-the-mouth tender. I was reminded of this when I read a recipe by chef Frank Camorra in his column on the Spectrum pages of the Sydney Morning Herald. 'Gently does it...' was the title of the piece and chef Camorra shared his tips for preparing a slow-cooked lamb shoulder. 'When slow-cooking shoulders of lamb at MoVida,' he wrote, 'we do it by encasing them in a water bath with a device called a circulator which keeps the water temperature at 85 degrees C. We cook them for about seven hours and then let them cool in their own juices in the bag.' Cooking meat in this slow and gentle way results in the connective tissue being broken down, with the finished joint of meat being succulent and tender, he explained. The recipe he shared detailed a method for home cooks which, he assured, would give a similar outcome. It sounded similar to the way my father cooked his veal shoulder, so I had to try it for myself. But not without the chef's blessing first. 'Of course,' was his reply. In sharing my take on the recipe, I confess that I changed things slightly by using home-grown Meyer lemons and sitting the joint on a base of sliced lemon too. I also used smoked garlic, added a few additional herbs, and cut some tiny slits into the meat, allowing the flavours to better penetrate. Having made it a few times now, I can happily report that it is good, very good! While on the Sunshine Coast recently, Peter and I visited a particular eatery so we could try their 12-hour slow-cooked lamb shoulder. We had to book-in and place our order several days ahead. The meal was tasty and tender, for sure, but it lacked that full depth of flavour of chef Camorra's dish. This one is a keeper, my friends. And thank you to chef Frank Camorra for allowing me to share my take on your recipe. I trust I have done you proud, kind sir. Home-grown lemons...Smoked garlic...The recipe... SLOW-ROASTED LAMB SHOULDER WITH BAHARAT, LEMON AND GARLIC For the marinade: 2 cloves smoked garlic, finely chopped zest of a large lemon, finely chopped juice of half a lemon* 1 tablespoon Baharat spice mix 1 tablespoon Mediterranean herbs 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil 1 teaspoon sea salt 1/2 teaspoon white pepper 2.5-3kg lamb shoulder on the bone+ *slice the other half of the lemon Combine the marinade ingredients in a jug and whisk thoroughly. Cut some small slits in the top of the lamb using the pointed end of a sharp knife. Pour the marinade over the meat, taking care to brush some of the marinade into the slits you have cut in the meat. If you have allowed enough time, cover and refrigerate the lamb for a few hours, allowing the flavours of the marinade to develop. If not, don't worry too much. Preheat your oven to 150 degrees C. To roast the lamb, you need a two-piece roasting pan, which will allow you to pour about 250mls of water into the bottom part of the pan. Line the base of the pan with baking paper and arrange the sliced lemon over the base (you will sit the lamb on top of the lemon slices). Pierce one or two tiny holes in the baking paper to allow excess juices to escape. Place the lamb on top of the lemon slices. Cover the lamb with baking paper and then cover completely with a double layer of aluminium foil, making sure it is tightly sealed. Place the roast into the oven and cook for three hours at 150 degrees C, then carefully check to see if more water is needed in the base of the pan. If yes, add 1/2-1 cup more. Cover the meat again. Lower the heat of the oven to 110 degrees C and cook for a further five or six hours. Remove the aluminium foil for the last hour of cooking to allow the skin to crisp up nicely. Per the chef's instructions, 'the meat is ready when you can press it with a fork and it has no resistance, so it is falling off the bone.' Serve the shredded meat with a selection of vibrant and fresh vegetables, as I have done here... some lightly roasted cherry tomatoes perhaps, some steamed green beans, and a salad. Serves 6-8. + We source our lamb (and other meat, including goat) specially from a local halal butcher. Place lemon slices in the base of the roasting pan...Brush the marinade over the lamb shoulder...Now roast for eight or nine hours, the meat is ready when it's falling off the bone...Serve with fresh and vibrant vegetables... My recipe for the accompanying roasted sweet potato salad with maple coconut candied pecans will follow soon on Good Things, so please stay tuned. Tell me dear readers, did your father ever cook? What were his specialities? Please do share your stories here.
21/8/2014 12:59:19 am
The lamb looks succulent and delicious. Love the addition of lemon, it must add lots of flavor to the meat.
Lizzy
4/9/2014 05:26:47 pm
Karen, thanks so much, I cannot rave enough about this one!
Lizzy
4/9/2014 05:27:03 pm
Thank you Rosa, it surely is : )
Lizzy
4/9/2014 05:27:16 pm
Celia, love, it just melts in the mouth! 21/8/2014 12:51:44 pm
Oh mercy, Liz, that looks amazing!! The meat sounds so flavorful and tender. :-)
Lizzy
4/9/2014 05:27:37 pm
Krista, it is amazing... I think you could do the same with goat, no? 21/8/2014 12:57:45 pm
Did my father ever cook? Well yes he did, I think the first 15 years of my life we had lamb and veggies for tea every night. Blehhhh. Now, I just cant stomach lamb, no matter how juicy and delicious it looks, the smell alone sets me off with the gags. Sorry Liz, your pictures are great, but #nodeal on this one for me. LOL. :)
Lizzy
4/9/2014 05:27:53 pm
Oh poor darling..... do you eat goat?
Jenny
21/8/2014 01:00:38 pm
That looks divine, must make this before the weather heats up.
Lizzy
4/9/2014 05:28:08 pm
Yes indeed Jenny! Let me know how it goes : ) 21/8/2014 03:27:35 pm
Slow roasted lamb is wonderful stuff. Although I do enjoy a rare roast, I've come to the conclusion that long cooking is really the best way to treat lamb. Fun recipe -- thanks so much.
Lizzy
4/9/2014 05:28:21 pm
John, thanks so much, I hope you try this in winter!
Eha
21/8/2014 04:21:35 pm
Oh yes! Oh yes! Oh yes! So much 'gorgeousness' I try to get into about 160 C in about 6-7 hours!! 'Baharat' - such wonderful spice merchants for that in Sydney but still love to make my own if I have the individual spices . . .
Lizzy
4/9/2014 05:28:37 pm
Great idea, Eha! I must make my own too!
Lizzy
4/9/2014 05:28:55 pm
Nothing much is better, Maureen... I will make this for you some day! 22/8/2014 01:12:59 am
This looks sooooo good! It would be hard to wait the 7-8 hours for it but I'm sure it's worth the wait! This has been pinned for future reference. Thank you for sharing and giving me inspiration
Lizzy
4/9/2014 05:29:06 pm
Thanks very much indeed! 22/8/2014 01:34:09 am
Soo tenderlicious! Love the Arab spices you used, too!
Lizzy
4/9/2014 05:29:20 pm
Julie, tender is an understatement : )
Andrea
22/8/2014 11:37:58 am
The story behind the lamb is very meaningful Liz, and it got me to be thinking of my mum and dad. I don't have a memory of my dad cooking, but he always made a great cup of tea in the morning and bring it to me! I guess, my mum always told me that dad had to basically looking after himself when he was growing up in post war England, and then he joined the navy at 15! So, when he met and married mum, I figure, he got the family life he craved..
Lizzy
4/9/2014 05:29:42 pm
Andrea, thank you for your heartwarming words.... so kind of you xo
Lizzy
4/9/2014 05:29:55 pm
Thanks Elizabeth, hope you enjoy xo 22/8/2014 12:28:24 pm
Where do you buy such a weighty shoulder of lamb? It's rare for me to find one that's more than a kilo. To get a heavier one I usually have to order it so the shank isn't cut away but every butcher I've asked always says, 'You'll never get a shoulder weighing more than about 1.5kgs' xx
Lizzy
4/9/2014 05:30:24 pm
Thanks Charlie... as discussed via Twitter, via our local halal butcher... the meat is the most tender I have EVER eaten! 23/8/2014 07:01:59 am
Wow. 12 hours. I guess you need to be up at the crack of dawn to make this for dinner! (Which I am completely willing to do... but not until it is a little cooler here! I had to laugh at the complete opposite cooking styles in our posts this weekend!) Thanks for sharing this mouthwatering recipe!
Lizzy
4/9/2014 05:30:45 pm
So true, David... we are on opposite sides of the planet! : ) 23/8/2014 11:45:58 am
This sounds heavenly, and just the thing for a rainy day like we're having today.
Lizzy
4/9/2014 05:31:02 pm
I can't tell you how good this is! Really good, Jennifer.
Andrea
23/8/2014 05:38:34 pm
Made up my own Baharat spice, poured a wine, lamb is now in the oven!
Lizzy
4/9/2014 05:31:14 pm
Excellent!!! 24/8/2014 12:15:02 pm
Mouth watering indeed Liz! The lemon would really infuse it's flavour into the meat- yummo!
Lizzy
4/9/2014 05:31:24 pm
It really does, Bec.
Lizzy
4/9/2014 05:31:33 pm
Me too, Muppy xo 24/8/2014 12:36:36 pm
What a lovely recipe - it reminds me that we don't use our sous vide machine nearly enough!
Lizzy
4/9/2014 05:31:44 pm
Well there you go, Amanda! 24/8/2014 01:25:11 pm
What a wonderfully comforting dish, these flavors sound so tasty!
Lizzy
4/9/2014 05:31:55 pm
They are indeed, Laura : )
Lizzy
4/9/2014 05:32:04 pm
Thank you!
Andrea (via Facebook)
24/8/2014 10:45:22 pm
Omigod Liz! There is nothing left, the lamb was beautiful, thank-you so much for a lovely recipe that I shared with my family, very special indeed x
Lizzy
4/9/2014 05:32:17 pm
I am soooooooooo delighted, Andrea! 25/8/2014 03:46:13 am
I have never tried to cook lamb, it's not a common meat in our culture and it's hard to find the meat in the market. Now I wished that we had been taught to coom lamb in college! Definitely if I ever get a chance to prepare lamb I will come back to your recipe and try your slow cooker merthod.
Lizzy
4/9/2014 05:32:29 pm
Oh Helene, yes do, please. xo Comments are closed.
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Welcome...Üdvözölöm
Cooking and writing have been a lifelong passion. Join me as I share with you my favourite recipes; postcards and morsels from my travels; conversations with cookery writers and chefs; and news on food, cookbooks and cooking. - Liz Posmyk
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NB: I use Australian standard measuring cups and spoons in my recipes.
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