James Martin's slow-roasted spiced lamb shoulder with tabbouleh
Sit back and let the oven do all the work with James' impressive slow-cooked lamb feast served with fresh herbed tabbouleh.
Slow-roasted spiced lamb shoulder with tabbouleh
Serves: 4-6
Ingredients
To spice the lamb
4 tbsp olive oil2 tsp ground cumin1 tsp ground turmeric2 tsp ras el hanout1 tsp saffron strands
2kg lamb shoulder
For the sauce
2 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, peeled and diced
5cm ginger, coarsely grated
6 garlic cloves, peeled and chopped
1 red chilli, chopped
2 cinnamon stick
4 tbsp honey
500ml chicken stock
800g tins chopped tomatoes
3 fresh tomatoes, chopped
150g dried fruits, I’ve used apricots and sultanas, chopped
4 medium preserved lemons, chopped
To serve: 1 small bunch mint, coriander and parsley, chopped
For the tabbouleh
50g shelled pistachios, chopped50g flaked almonds50g pine nuts50g dried apricots, chopped100g pomegranate seeds 4 lemon juice 100ml olive oil200g bulgur wheat, cooked as per pack instructions and allow to cool1 large bunch mint, parsley and coriander, chopped
Method
1. To make the marinade, mix the oil and the spices together in a bowl and then coat all over the lamb. Place in the fridge for 2 hours or overnight.
2. Preheat the oven to 200C
3. For the sauce, heat the oil in a large pan. Fry the onion, the ginger, the garlic, the chilli and cinnamon, then add the honey and chicken stock and the chopped and fresh tomatoes followed by the dried fruits and preserved lemons. Bring to the boil then pour the sauce over the lamb.
4. Place the lamb in the oven and cook for 1 hour
5. Remove from the oven and cover the lamb in foil and cook for another 2-3 hours
6. Finish with the fresh chopped herbs, and season
7. To make the tabbouleh, take all of the remaining ingredients and add to the bulgur wheat. Stir through the chopped herbs and serve with the lamb.