Emma Easter roast lamb
When Santa knows you like food and bought you a Shetland Lamb to eat – you really do have to make something special. I made this for our Christmas dinner and it was very tender, with the meat falling apart perfectly. Special doesn’t always mean fancy. This recipe sticks to the basics of lamb, garlic, rosemary and seasoning. I still have some lamb in the freezer, so will be making some more this weekend!
We used a hogget from Shetland. A hogget is the stage in between Lamb and mutton, so a richer flavour of meat. Shetland Hill Lamb has PDO status, so look for Protected Destination of Origin (PDO) symbol, which is awarded to Shetland Lamb that is less than 12 months old and produced as well as slaughtered in Shetland. The EU Geographical Indication symbol assures customers of the genuineness of the product’s origin.
The Lamb here was purchased through Fresh Food Express – click here for their lamb and mutton range.
Ingredients
1 6–7-lb. lamb shoulder, some fat still attached
2 tbsp sea salt
Ground black pepper
5 garlic cloves, chopped
3 tbsp chopped fresh rosemary
3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
3 tbsp fresh lemon juice
Method
Lightly score fat on lamb.
Place lamb in a large roasting pan and season generously with salt and pepper.
Sprinkle garlic and rosemary all over lamb and drizzle with oil and lemon juice.
Rub marinade into meat.
Arrange fat side up in roasting pan.
Cover very tightly with foil and chill overnight or at least a couple of hours.
Preheat oven to 325°/160 or Gas Mark 3.
Roast Lamb until meat is completely tender and pulling easily away from the bones.
A feast, serve with roasted potatoes and veggies for a substantial meal.
If you have any leftover, you could use it to make Lamb Biriyani as we did.
