Easter is a time for family, hunting for chocolate eggs in the bush, and, of course, sharing great food. One dish that truely shines this season is lamb; tender, flavourful and perfect for the whole family, especially when roasted low and slow with vegetables soaking up all the goodness in the same pan. This year, we’re excited to share a special Slow Roasted Lamb Shoulder recipe from a chef we admire, Matt Dempsey, owner of Conlan’s Wine Store in Port Fairy. Matt and his wife Kate have been serving our SubRosa wine for more than nine years. If you haven’t been, Conlan’s is well worth the trip. Nestled in the historic fishing village of Port Fairy in Western Victoria, the restaurant offers an exceptional food and wine experience, with locally sourced dishes, perfectly matched wines, and a provedore full of delicious finds to take home.
And for the wine pairing? A glass of SubRosa cool-climate Shiraz from the Grampians. Why? It’s bright acidity, fine tannins and peppery spice cut beautifully through the richness of roasted lamb, while balanced fruit and earthy notes bring out the dish’s deep, savoury flavours.
Slow Roasted Lamb Shoulder Recipe
Slow Cooked Lamb Shoulder Recipe courtesy of Conlan’s Wine Store
Salt rub ingredients:
200gm rock salt
200gm brown sugar crystals (coffee crystals)
½ bunch thyme
10 black peppercorns
2 sticks rosemary
1 head of garlic, not peeled
Salt rub method:
Place all ingredients into a blender and blend quickly to break down the aromatics and the salt. Once the salt is roughly the same size as the sugar, mix together then rub over the lamb. Allow it to sit in the fridge for 6-8 hours.
After the 6-8 hours remove the lamb from the fridge and wash the rub off under cold water, then pat it dry with paper towel.
For the best cooking results, sous vide the lamb by cryovacing it then cooking at 85°C for 12 hours. If you do not have the equipment for sous vide, braise the lamb in the oven for 6-8 hours at 120°C or until tender.
At Conlan’s Wine Store, after the lamb has cooked sous vide, we chill it in the fridge where it will keep up to 3 weeks.
To serve, we remove it from the bag and cook at 200°C for about 45 minutes. This re-heats the lamb and gives it a golden crunchy fat topping.
Serve with a wedge of lemon, dukkah and rosemary jus. It’s great with sides such as grain salad, mixed lettuce salad or honey sesame carrots.
How to braise the lamb shoulder:
Ingredients:
1.2kg lamb shoulder
1l beef stock
2 carrots
2 sticks of celery – cut into 2cm dice
2 brown onions – cut into 2cm dice
6 black peppercorns
4 bay leaves
3 cloves of garlic
300ml red wine
Method:
Clean the lamb by removing excess fat and tendon. Add oil to a pan and sear the lamb in a pan on all sides until golden. Pre-heat the oven on 140°C.
Roughly cut all the vegetables and add to a tray with the peppercorns, garlic, bay leaf, red wine and stock. Place the seared lamb on top of the vegetables and spices and cover the tray with foil.
Cook for about 3 hours at 140°C.
Once tender remove the foil and allow to cook for another 20 minutes to colour (brown up). Remove the lamb onto a rack to cool slightly, then serve.
Honey Carrots
Honey Carrots
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Carrots at Easter? Yes please! Our kids love carrots in all their ways, but especially when roasted in the oven with a drizzle of local honey on top. When roasted whole they do typically taste sweet enough, but for a special treat I drizzle local honey on them just prior to serving. |
Pumpkin, Spinach & Feta Salad
Pumpkin, Spinach & Feta Salad
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I love to be able to prepare part of the meal ahead of time which is why this Roast Pumpkin, Spinach and Feta Salad with Honey Balsamic Dressing by Recipetineats works for me. |
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