Braised Shoulder of Lamb with Potato Topping
This level up on a classic shepherd’s pie boasts a topping of thickly-sliced potatoes and a filling tender lamb shoulder in its own gravy. We love to serve this during the colder months but it also works for an Easter centrepiece.
Introduction
As much as we love a shepherd’s pie this is just that little bit more celebratory. Fab for the centre of the table, it’s crisp on the outside, soft on the inside, with thick sliced potatoes on top and falling off the bone lamb underneath, all in its own gravy. A true one-pot wonder.
Ingredients
| 50ml | olive oil |
| 1.4kg half shoulder of | lamb, skin scored |
| 6 | carrots, peeled and chopped |
| 6 | shallots, peeled and chopped |
| ½ bottle of | white wine |
| 2 heaped tbsp | Dijon mustard |
| sea salt and freshly ground black pepper | |
| For the seasoning mix: | |
|---|---|
| 1 tsp each of | ground black pepper, dried rosemary, dried thyme and dried oregano |
| For the potato topping: | |
| 6 large | potatoes, peeled and thickly sliced |
| 50ml | olive oil |
Method
Preheat the oven to 170°C (150°C fan).
In a small bowl, combine the seasoning mix ingredients.
In a large flameproof casserole or ovenproof pan that has a lid, heat the oil, then place the scored side of the lamb in the pan, sprinkle with half of the seasoning mix and sear for 5 minutes to get a little colour. Turn the lamb and cook the other side for 5 minutes, then season the top side of the lamb (that has been seared) with the remaining seasoning mix.
Place the carrots and shallots around the outside of the lamb and pour in the wine; it should come straight to the boil. Cover with a lid, transfer to the oven and cook for 3 hours.
Before the end of the 3 hours, cook the potatoes in boiling water for 5 minutes then drain and mix with the olive oil and some salt and pepper.
Remove the lamb from the oven, drain off a little of the sauce into a small pan, and pull the bone from the lamb; it should slide out easily. Discard the bone. Mix the lamb around in the dish a little with tongs; it will just fall apart. In a rustic fashion, spoon the potatoes on top of the lamb. Increase the oven temperature to 220°C (200°C fan), return the dish, uncovered, to the oven and cook for a further 1 hour.
Reduce the reserved sauce in the small pan and stir in the mustard. Serve the mustard gravy alongside the braised lamb.
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