Lamb Shoulder Traybake

Slow-roasted lamb shoulder is the kind of cooking that makes you look very good for what is effectively minimal effort. The oven does everything. You rub the lamb with spices, pour some liquid into the tin, cover it tightly and put it in a low oven for three and a half hours. When it comes out, the meat falls from the bone at the touch of a spoon.

The Middle Eastern spice rub — cumin, coriander, cinnamon, allspice — gives the lamb a warm, aromatic quality that is deeply satisfying. I usually do the rub the night before and let it sit in the fridge overnight, which intensifies the flavour. But even an hour is enough to make a real difference.

Serve with flatbread, yoghurt with garlic and cucumber, a green herb salad (parsley, mint, coriander), and roasted vegetables from the same tin. This is a dinner-party-worthy meal on a Tuesday, which is arguably the highest achievement in home cooking.

Ingredients

• 2kg bone-in lamb shoulder
• 2 tsp ground cumin
• 1½ tsp ground coriander
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• ½ tsp ground allspice
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• 4 cloves garlic, made into a paste
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 250ml chicken or lamb stock
• 1 tbsp pomegranate molasses or balsamic vinegar
• Salt and pepper
• Flatbread, yoghurt, fresh herbs and lemon to serve

Method

Step 1

Score the lamb shoulder all over with deep cuts. Mix the spices, garlic paste and olive oil into a paste and rub it all over the lamb, pushing it into the cuts. Marinate for at least 1 hour (or overnight in the fridge).

Step 2

Preheat oven to 160°C. Place the lamb in a deep roasting tin, pour the stock and pomegranate molasses around it, and cover tightly with foil.

Step 3

Roast for 3–3.5 hours until the lamb is completely tender and falling from the bone. Remove the foil for the last 20 minutes and turn the oven to 200°C to crisp the outside.

Step 4

Rest for 20 minutes before serving. Pull the meat apart with two forks and serve with the pan juices, flatbread, yoghurt, herbs and lemon wedges.