Middle Eastern SlowCooked Lamb Shoulder

Serves 4, Prep 25 mins, Cook 3 hours, 30 mins

1.4kg lamb shoulder,

with bone in 2 red onions, cut into

thick wedges 700g large Desiree potatoes,

cut into three crossways 2 cups chicken stock ½ cup fresh orange juice 2 tblsps red wine vinegar ½ cup pitted Sicilian olives,

halved 1 cup fresh mint leaves

MIDDLE EASTERN RUB

3 tsps finely grated orange rind 2 tblsps orange juice 3 cloves garlic, crushed 2 tsps ground paprika 1 tsp ground cinnamon 1 tsp ground coriander 1 tsp cumin seeds Salt and pepper, to taste

1 To make rub, combine all ingredients in a bowl. 2 Cut three slashes, at even intervals, across the top of the shoulder. Season. 3 Heat an oiled, large flameproof roasting pan over a medium to high heat. Add lamb. Cook for 4 minutes on each side, or until browned. Remove. Coat lamb all over with rub. 4 Add onions to roasting pan over a medium heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 2 minutes. Return lamb to pan, skin-side down. Arrange potatoes around lamb. Add stock, juice and vinegar. Top with a sheet of baking paper. Cover tightly with foil. 5 Cook in a slow oven (150C) for 3 hours. Discard foil and paper. Turn lamb over. Baste with cooking juices. 6 Cook, uncovered, basting halfway through, for a further 30 minutes, or until meat pulls away easily from the bone. Remove. Rest, loosely covered with foil, for 15 minutes. 7 Serve lamb and potatoes topped with onions, pan juices, olives and mint.

TIP Replace lamb shoulder with a leg of lamb, if you prefer. Meat may not break up as easily as when cooking a lamb shoulder.