Slow Cooked Lamb Shoulder with Spiced Pilaf

Cook Time 6 hours 45 minutes (mostly unattended cooking time)

Servings 8

Ingredients

8 sprigs rosemary

4 bay leaves

3 anchovy fillets 

2 kg bone-in lamb shoulder 

1 garlic bulb

⅓ cup olive oil

3 cups vegetable stock

2 tbsp honey

½ cup almond flakes, toasted

1 pomegranate

Mint leaves and lemon wedges, to serve

Pilaf

3 tbsp ghee or unsalted butter

1 tsp ground cumin

Pinch of saffron

½ tsp ground turmeric

2 cinnamon quill

4 tsp mustard seeds

2 whole cardamom 

3 garlic cloves, crushed

2 cups basmati rice

Fresh bay leaves

1L chicken stock

Method

Preheat oven to 140°C. Place 4 sprigs of the rosemary, the bay leaves and anchovies on the base of a roasting pan and place the lamb on top. Make 10 deep incisions into the lamb and stuff with the remaining torn rosemary.

Cut the bulb of garlic in half horizontally and add to the pan. Drizzle the olive oil over the lamb and garlic. Pour the vegetable stock and honey over the lamb. Season with salt and cover with foil and roast for 6 hours.

When the lamb has been cooking for 5½ hours, make the pilaf. Melt the ghee in a large saucepan over a medium heat. Add the bay, cardamom, cumin, turmeric, cinnamon, mustard seeds and garlic. Cook, stirring, for 2 minutes or until the spices are fragrant. Add the rice and stir until coated with the spice mixture. Add the saffron (optional). Add the chicken stock to the pan and bring to a simmer.

Cover the pan and reduce to low heat. Cook for 15 minutes, then turn off the heat. Leave covered for a further 10 minutes. Serve the lamb with the pilaf, topped with the almonds, pomegranate seeds and mint, with lemon wedges on the side.