Slow-Roasted Spiced Lamb Shoulder with Cumin Salt and Flatbread
A whole lamb shoulder rubbed with cumin, coriander, paprika and garlic butter, roasted hot and then slowly until it pulls from the bone. Served with a simple cumin salt for dipping, warm flatbreads and lemon.
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Method
- 1
Prepare the lamb. Take the lamb out of the fridge 1 hour before cooking, but no longer. Pat it dry, then use the tip of a small sharp knife to cut slits about 2cm deep and 4cm apart all over, and rub it with the lamb salt. The slits let the seasoning and spice butter reach deep into the meat rather than sitting on the surface.
- 2
Toast and grind spices. Toast all the cumin seeds (for both the butter and the cumin salt) with the coriander seeds in the dry frying pan over medium heat for 1-2 minutes, until fragrant, then grind them finely. Heat draws out the aromatic oils in whole seeds, giving a much deeper flavour than ready-ground spice. Set 1.5 tsp of the ground cumin aside for the cumin salt; the other 2 tsp goes into the butter.
- 3
Smear the spice butter. Mash the soft butter with the 2 tsp ground cumin, the coriander, both paprikas and the garlic paste. Spread it all over the lamb, pushing some into the slits, and set the joint skin side up in the roasting tin. Butter carries the fat-soluble flavours of the spices and bastes the meat as it melts.
- 4
Start with high heat. Heat the oven to 230°C (fan 210°C) and roast the lamb for 30 minutes, until it begins to brown. This blast of heat colours the surface and builds the savoury, roasted flavour that a gentle oven alone cannot.
- 5
Roast low and slow. Turn the oven down to 170°C (fan 150°C), pour the 150ml water into the tin rather than over the meat, and roast for 3 hours 30 minutes to 4 hours, basting with the buttery juices every 30 minutes. If it browns too fast, cover loosely with foil and remove it for the last 15 minutes. It is ready when the meat pulls away from the bone with a fork; a probe in the thickest part, away from the bone, will read well above 63°C, usually 90°C or more, which is the point at which the connective tissue has melted.
- 6
Rest and warm bread. Lift the lamb onto a board, cover loosely with foil and rest for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, warm the flatbreads in the switched-off oven for the last 5 minutes. Resting lets the juices settle back into the meat, so it stays moist when pulled.
- 7
Mix the cumin salt. Stir the reserved 1.5 tsp ground cumin with the flaky salt in a small bowl. Served separately, it adds bursts of crunch and seasoning with every bite.
- 8
Pull and serve. With two forks, pull the meat from the bone in large pieces, or let everyone tear it at the table. Spoon over a little of the skimmed pan juices and serve with the cumin salt for dipping, the warm flatbread and lemon wedges.
Storage
Cool within 2 hours, refrigerate in a covered container for up to 3 days. Reheat, covered, with a splash of the juices until piping hot (74°C).
Equipment
- large heavy roasting tin
- small dry frying pan
- spice grinder or mortar and pestle
- small sharp knife
- spoon for basting
- foil
- large board or platter
- small bowl
- 2 forks
- instant-read probe thermometer
Nutrition per serving (estimated values)
| Per serving | Amount |
|---|---|
| Energy | 842 kcal |
| Protein | 45.2 g |
| Carbohydrate | 30.3 g |
| of which sugars | 0.9 g |
| of which free sugars | 0.7 g |
| Fat | 59 g |
| of which saturates | 27.1 g |
| Fibre | 1.9 g |
| Salt | 2.25 g |
Protein per 100 kcal
5.4 g High Protein needs ≥ 10 g
Calculated from USDA FoodData Central ingredient values
