Pomegranate Molasses Lamb Shoulder with Figs and Walnuts

Enjoy a winter slow cooked lamb shoulder with some Middle Eastern flavourings. I’ve not been culturally appropriate with this recipe but have appropriated elements of Somer Sivrioglu from Sydney, well known Yotam Ottolenghi and Shane Delia from Melbourne.

Serve with 2017 Malbec or 2016 Shiraz or 2015 Cabernet Sauvignon

Ingredients

1 lamb shoulder (approx 2 kilos)

6 garlic cloves, (peeled and cut into slivers)

1 onion (chopped finely)

glug of olive oil

2T pomegranate molasses

1 generous T each of toasted cumin and coriander seeds (lightly crushed)

salt and pepper

300mls chicken or lamb stock

splash of Bloodwood red you will be drinking

2 lemons (cut into thickish rounds and de-seeded)

large handful of walnut halves lightly roasted

butter

dried figs (I am lucky to have our builder Phil’s

plump figs halved and dried and kept in my freezer)

sprinkle of ras el hanout

1T fig jam /or plum jam

Method

Stab your lamb shoulder everywhere with a sharp knife and insert the slivers of garlic into the incisions. Rub olive oil all over the shoulder then follow with massaging the shoulder with the pomegranate molasses. Add the toasted crushed spices cumin and coriander. If you have time, do this as a marinade and cover the meat with cling film and rest in the fridge for a couple of hours or overnight. Bring the lamb to room temperature before you start its cooking.

Salt and pepper all over it now. Oil your roasting pan which is just big enough to accommodate your lamb shoulder. Place the lemon rind on the bottom of the pan and sit the lamb shoulder on top. Cover with baking paper i.e. crumple it and oil the side that will cover the lamb with the fatty side facing up, like a cartouche. Then tightly cover with alfoil or a firm fitting lid so you don’t lose much moisture.

Place the pan into a fan forced oven at 140 degrees C and half way through add a cup of chicken stock or water (and an optional splash of the wine you’ll be drinking) then reseal and return it for another hour and a half.

Check after 3 hours and see if your meat is fork tender. Baste the meat with the juices. If there is not enough liquid add some more. Slip in the halved dried figs and cook for another half hour to brown the fatty top of the meat and reconstitute those dried figs. (I put my figs in half way through cooking and they were really mushy at the end- but tasted delicious.)

Before you serve, get some paper towel and blot the top of the juices with it which hopefully will get rid of most of the fat swimming on top.

Taste the sauce and see if it is too tart given the lemon slices. Add a touch of fig jam and stir through to counterbalance the acidity. I didn’t serve the lemon slices as they are problematic with red wine.

Sprinkle over some ras el hanout, fresh coriander to provide some contrast and colour relief and roasted walnuts warmed in brown butter.

Extras

Serve with salted garlic tahini Greek yoghurt mix, coucous and spiced carrots broiled in orange juice and olive oil with raisins and sumac and simple greens. We ate broccolini.