This is a sensational recipe from The OTK, Extra Good things (Ottolenghi Test Kitchen) series.
It is great for a special occasion and most of the work is at the beginning then you just leave it to slow-roast for 4.5 hours.
Marinate the lamb overnight and make the salsa an hour or so before serving.
Also, serve it with this wonderful Armenian yoghurt cucumber and dill salad. It’s the perfect accompaniment!
Cook time – 6 hours
Serves 6 – 8
4 big onions, peeled, 1 roughly chopped and the other 3 each cut into 6 wedges
8 garlic cloves, peeled and roughly chopped
1oz fresh ginger, peeled and roughly chopped
1½ tsp ground cinnamon
2 tsp ground coriander
½ tsp ground turmeric
3/4 cup dill, roughly chopped
3/4 cup parsley, roughly chopped
3 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
4.5-5lb lamb shoulder, bone in
5 cinnamon sticks
15 cardamom pods, roughly bashed open with a pestle and mortar
6oz soft dried figs, quartered
3 1/4 cups chicken or lamb stock
salt and black pepper
1 lemon, cut into 6 wedges to serve
FIG AND PISTACHIO SALSA
4oz soft dried figs, chopped into 1/2″ dice
2/3 cup pistachios, very lightly toasted and roughly chopped
2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup dill, leaves picked
1/2 cup parsley, leaves picked
Preheat the oven to 400F.
Put the chopped onions, garlic, ginger, spices and herbs into a food processor and blitz until finely minced. Add the oil, vinegar, 1¾ teaspoons of salt and a generous grind of pepper and blitz into a coarse paste.
Pat dry the lamb and pierce the flesh all over using a small, sharp knife (about 10–12 times). Coat the lamb well with all the paste. Leave it to marinate, refrigerated overnight.
Put the onion wedges, cinnamon sticks, cardamom and figs into a large, ovenproof cast-iron saucepan (28cm in diameter) for which you have a lid. Alternatively, use a large, high-sided roasting tin and some foil to cover.
Top with the lamb, fatty side up, then pour the chicken/lamb stock into the pan (but not over the lamb) and bake uncovered for 45 minutes.
Lower the heat to 325F, baste the lamb with the juices, then cover with the lid or foil and roast for 4½ hours, basting 3–4 times throughout.
The lamb should be quite tender at this point. Turn the heat back up to 400F.
Remove the lid (or foil) and cook for 30 minutes more, or until the lamb is well browned and the sauce has reduced slightly. Check it at the 20-minute mark.
Gently remove the lamb, leaving it to rest on a baking tray. Pour the contents of the saucepan into a large, shallow platter or dish that has a slight lip and top with the lamb.
Make the fig and pistachio salsa.
Combine the chopped figs with the pistachios, lemon juice and the herbs. Spoon this all over the lamb and serve with the lemon wedges alongside.