QUICK-BRAISED & ROASTED TE MANA LAMB SHOULDER

SERVES 4 / PREPARATION 10 MINUTES / COOKING 2 HOURS

For this dish I have used a pressure cooker to take the faff out of braising lamb; it’s so easy – just put the browned meat and veges in and leave it.

1kg lamb shoulder (I used Te Mana) 1 tablespoon salt 100ml olive oil

1 white onion, quartered

1 carrot, quartered

1 celery stick, quartered

5 garlic cloves

1 teaspoon coriander seeds 1 teaspoon cumin seeds

1 teaspoon fennel seeds 1 teaspoon smoked paprika

1 sprig rosemary

5 sprigs thyme

1 tablespoon tomato paste 500ml chicken stock

Season the lamb well with the salt. Put a large frying pan (cast iron is ideal) over a high heat and add the olive oil. When hot, lightly brown the lamb, skin side down first, on both sides. Remove lamb and place in a pressure cooker.

Brown the vegetables in the same pan, then add the garlic, spices and herbs and fry until fragrant (about 1 minute).

Add the tomato paste, then the stock to the pan and deglaze by bringing it to the boil and scraping residue from the base.

Pour the vegetables and stock into the pressure cooker with the lamb and cook for 1.5 hours (I use a manual setting).

Allow the lamb to cool to room temperature in the pressure cooker (this keeps more flavour in) before removing. Strain vegetables, reserving the liquid, and transfer this to a saucepan to reduce for about 15 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 200°C, then roast lamb in a roasting tray for 15 minutes or until browned. Baste with reduced braising liquid to create a glossy glaze.