This is a North African flavoured slow cook lamb dish that works well for Easter or for Valentine’s day. Though the lamb needs to be slow-cooked for a long period in the oven this is all hands off time, meaning that you have more time with your loved one or your family.
Prep time 10 minutes/Cook time 190 minutes/Serves 6
Ingredients:
1 lamb shoulder, (about 1.8-2kg [2 lb])
1 lemon
2 tbsp harissa paste
For the pickled cucumber:
1 cucumber
50g (2 oz) caster sugar
50ml (1/5 cup) white wine vinegar
1 red chilli
Method:
Pre-heat your oven to 180°C (160°C fan/, 360°F/gas mark 4), and put the lamb in a foil-lined roasting tin. Score the fat, and use a skewer, or knife, to make small incisions in the meat. Squeeze the lemon juice and mix together with a generous pinch of salt and the harissa.
Spread the harissa evenly across the lamb, massaging it in well.
Transfer to your pre-heated oven and roast for 4 hours, covering with foil for the final hour.
Remove the cooked lamb from the oven, cover with foil and a tea towel and set aside to rest for at least 30 minutes.
Halve the cucumber lengthways and scrape out the seeds. Using a peeler, shave the cucumber into long, thin ribbons and add to a bowl. Heat the sugar with the vinegar until the sugar dissolves, then snip in the chilli, and pour the mixture over the cucumber ribbons. Cover with clingfilm (plastic wrap), and chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
To serve, shred the lamb into bite-sized pieces using 2 forks, and pour over any roasting juices. Serve with the pickled cucumber.
