Slow-cooked, pulled pomegranate-marinaded lamb

This recipe is wonderful with couscous, rice or pita bread as well as roasted potatoes, carrots and beetroot. The honey and pomegranates, make it great for Rosh Hashanah but it’s also hearty and warming enough for wintery Shabbat dinners.

Serves 6

Preparation: 20 minutes plus marinating Cooking: 5 hours

INGREDIENTS:

4 garlic cloves, chopped

2 tsp ground cinnamon

2 tsp ground cumin

2 tbsp dried oregano

1 lemon, quartered and pips removed 1½ kg bone-in shoulder lamb joint

2 red onions, peeled and cut into wedges 1 litre carton pomegranate juice

2 tbsp clear honey

Garnish

1 fresh pomegranate – seeds removed Small handful mint – leaves chopped

METHOD

Put the garlic, cinnamon, cumin, oregano and lemon (with skin and pith) in a blender with 1 teaspoon salt and 2 teaspoons black pepper. Blend until smooth.

Put the lamb in a large roasting tin and tip the marinade over the top. Massage all over the lamb and leave for 24 hours in the fridge, or up to 2 days.

Remove lamb from the fridge 1 hour before cooking.

Heat oven to 160°C/140°C fan. Scatter the onions around the lamb, tucking some underneath, then pour over the pomegranate juice. Cover the lamb with foil and cook for 4 hrs.

Remove the foil, carefully pour the meaty pomegranate juices from the tin into a large saucepan and add the honey.

Increase oven to 220°C/200°C fan, recover the lamb and continue cooking for 30 mins.

Meanwhile, bubble the cooking liquid over a high heat until reduced, thick and syrupy – this may take up to 30 mins.

Pour the sticky pomegranate glaze over the lamb and onions and return to the oven for another 30 mins, uncovered, until the glaze is bubbling and just starting to char, and the lamb is really tender.

Shred the lamb at the table and serve with the sticky onions. Scatter over the pomegranate seeds and sprinkle over the mint leaves.

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